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Randomized Controlled Trial of Different Policing Strategies at Hot Spots of Violent Crime

NCJ Number
235317
Journal
Journal of Experimental Criminology Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2011 Pages: 149-181
Author(s)
Bruce Taylor; Christopher S. Koper; Daniel J. Woods
Date Published
June 2011
Length
33 pages
Annotation
This study examined which policing strategies work best for hot spots.
Abstract
Focusing police efforts on "hot spots" has gained acceptance among researchers and practitioners. However, little rigorous evidence exists on the comparative effectiveness of different hot spots strategies. To address this gap, we randomly assigned 83 hot spots of violence in Jacksonville, FL, to receive either a problem-oriented policing (POP) strategy, directed-saturation patrol, or a control condition for 90 days. The authors then examined crime in these areas during the intervention period and a 90-day post-intervention period. In sum, the use of POP was associated with a 33 percent reduction in "street violence" during the 90 days following the intervention. While not statistically significant, the authors also observed that POP was associated with other non-trivial reductions in violence and property crime during the post-intervention period. In contrast, the authors did not detect statistically significant crime reductions for the directed-saturation patrol group, though there were non-significant declines in crime in these areas during the intervention period. Tests for displacement or a diffusion of benefits provided indications that violence was displaced to areas near the POP locations, though some patterns in the data suggest this may have been due to the effects of POP on crime reporting by citizens in nearby areas. The authors conclude by discussing the study's limitations and the implications of the findings for efforts to refine hot spots policing. (Published Abstract)