Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Hot spots policing and crime prevention: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

  • Published:
Journal of Experimental Criminology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Crime scholars and practitioners have argued that police actions should be focused on high-risk crime places rather than spread thinly across the urban landscape. This review examines five randomized controlled trials of the effects of concentrating police enforcement efforts on crime hot spots. The findings of these evaluations suggest that focused police actions can prevent crime and disorder in crime hot spots. A meta-analysis of the effect sizes from the five experiments reveals a statistically significant mean effect size for hot spots policing interventions; this suggests overall reductions in citizen calls for service in the treatment hot spots relative to the control hot spots. These studies also suggest that focused police actions at specific locations do not necessarily result in crime displacement. Although these evaluations reveal that these programs work in preventing crime, additional research is needed to unravel other important policy-relevant issues such as community reaction to focused police enforcement efforts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barr, R. & Pease, K. (1990). Crime placement, displacement, and deflection. In M. Tonry & N. Morris (Eds.), Crime and justice: A review of research, vol. 12 (pp. 277–318). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berk, R., Smyth, G. & Sherman, L. (1988). When random assignment fails: Some lessons from the Minneapolis spouse abuse experiment. Journal of Quantitative Criminology 4, 209–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bittner, E. (1970). The functions of the police in modern society. New York: Aronson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braga, A. (1997). Solving violent crime problems: An evaluation of the Jersey City police department’s pilot program to control violent places. Ph.D. diss., Rutgers University. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braga, A. (2001). The effects of hot spots policing on crime. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 578, 104–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braga, A. (2002). Problem-oriented policing and crime prevention. Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braga, A., Weisburd, D., Waring, E., Mazerolle, L. G., Spelman, W. & Gajewski, F. (1999). Problem-oriented policing in violent crime places: A randomized controlled experiment. Criminology 37, 541–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brantingham, P. & Brantingham, P. (Eds.). (1991). Environmental criminology. 2nd edn. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buerger, M. (Ed). (1992). The crime prevention casebook: Securing high crime locations. Washington, DC: Crime Control Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buerger, M. (1993). Convincing the recalcitrant: An examination of the Minneapolis RECAP experiment. Ph.D. diss., Rutgers University. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caeti, T. (1999). Houston’s targeted beat program: A quasi-experimental test of police patrol strategies. Ph.D. diss., Sam Houston State University. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, R. V. & Felson, M. (Eds.). (1993). Routine activity and rational choice. Advances in criminological theory (vol. 5). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, R. V. & Harris, P. (1992). Auto theft and its prevention. In M. Tonry (Ed.), Crime and justice: A review of research, vol. 16 (pp. 1–54). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, R. V. & Weisburd, D. (1994). Diffusion of crime control benefits: Observations on the reverse of displacement. Crime Prevention Studies 2, 165–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, L. & Felson, M. (1979). Social change and crime rate trends: A routine activity approach. American Sociological Review 44, 588–605.

    Google Scholar 

  • Criminal Justice Commission. (1998). Beenleigh calls for service project: Evaluation report. Brisbane, Queensland, AUS: Criminal Justice Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornish, D. & Clarke, R. V. (1987). Understanding crime displacement: An application of rational choice theory. Criminology 25, 933–947.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duval, S. & Tweedie, R. (2000). A nonparametric “trim and fill” method of accounting for publication bias in meta-analysis. Journal of the American Statistical Association 95, 89–98.

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Eck, J. (1993). The threat of crime displacement. Criminal Justice Abstracts 25, 527–546.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eck, J. (1997). Preventing crime at places. In University of Maryland, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Eds.), Preventing crime: What works, what doesn’t, what’s promising (pp. 7-1–7-62). Washington, DC: Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

  • Eck, J. (2002). Preventing crime at places. In L. Sherman, D. Farrington, B. Welsh & D. L. MacKenzie (Eds.), Evidence-based crime prevention (pp. 241–294). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eck, J. & Weisburd, D. (1995). Crime places in crime theory. In J. Eck & D. Weisburd (Eds.), Crime and place (pp. 1–34). Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farrington, D. & Petrosino, A. (2001). The Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Group. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 578, 35–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, L. (1996). Policing places with drug problems. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greene, J. A. (1999). Zero tolerance: A case study of police practices and policies in New York City. Crime and Delinquency, 45 171–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hesseling, R. (1994). Displacement: A review of the empirical literature. Crime Prevention Studies 3, 197–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawley, A. (1944). Ecology and human ecology. Social Forces 23, 398–405.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawley, A. (1950). Human ecology: A theory of urban structure. New York: Ronald Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hope, T. (1994). Problem-oriented policing and drug market locations: Three case studies. Crime Prevention Studies 2, 5–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, R. & Jeffrey, C.R. (1992). Preventing convenience store robbery through environmental design. In R. Clarke (Ed.), Situational crime prevention: Successful case studies (pp. 194–204). Albany, New York: Harrow and Heston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelling, G., Pate, A., Dickman, D. & Brown, C. (1974). The Kansas City preventive patrol experiment: A technical report. Washington, DC: Police Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipsey, M. & Wilson, D. B. (2001). Practical meta-analysis. Applied social research methods series (Vol. 49). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pease, K. (1991). The Kirkholt project: Preventing burglary on a British public housing estate. Security Journal 2, 73–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pierce, G., Spaar, S. & Briggs, L. 1988. The character of police work: Strategic and tactical implications. Boston, MA: Center for Applied Social Research, Northeastern University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Repetto, T. (1976). Crime prevention and the displacement phenomenon. Crime & Delinquency 22, 166–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, R. (1994). Parametric measures of effect size. In H. Cooper & L. Hedges (Eds.), The handbook of research synthesis (pp. 231–244). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shadish, W., Robinson, L. & Lu, C. (2003). ES: Effect size calculator. St. Paul, MN: Assessment Systems Corp http://www.assess.com).

  • Shaw, J. (1995). Community policing against guns: Public opinion of the Kansas City gun experiment. Justice Quarterly 12, 695–710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, C. & McKay, H. (1942). Juvenile delinquency and urban areas. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, L. (1990). Police crackdowns: Initial and residual deterrence. In M. Tonry & N.Morris (Eds.), Crime and justice: A review of research, vol. 12 (pp. 1–48). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, L. (1997). Policing for crime prevention. In University of Maryland, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Eds.), Preventing crime: What works, what doesn’t, what’s promising (pp. 8-1–8-58). Washington, District of Columbia: Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

  • Sherman, L. (2002). Fair and effective policing. In J. Q. Wilson & J. Petersilia (Eds.), Crime: Public policies for crime control (pp. 383–412). Oakland, CA: Institute for Contemporary Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, L. & Rogan, D. (1995a). Deterrent effects of police raids on crack houses: A randomized controlled experiment. Justice Quarterly 12, 755–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, L. & Rogan, D. (1995b). Effects of gun seizures on gun violence: “Hot spots” patrol in Kansas City. Justice Quarterly 12, 673–694.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, L. & Weisburd, D. (1995). General deterrent effects of police patrol in crime hot spots: A randomized controlled trial. Justice Quarterly 12, 625–648.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, L., Buerger, M. & Gartin, P. (1989a). Repeat call address policing: The Minneapolis RECAP experiment. Washington, District of Columbia: Crime Control Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherman, L., Gartin, P. & Buerger, M. (1989b). Hot spots of predatory crime: Routine activities and the criminology of place. Criminology 27, 27–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skogan, W. & Hartnett, S. (1997). Community policing, Chicago style. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skogan, W. & Frydl, K. (Eds.). (2004). Fairness and effectiveness in policing: The evidence. Committee to Review Research on Police Policy and Practices. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, R. & Gottfredson, S. (1986). Environment design, crime, and prevention: An examination of community dynamics. In A. J. Reiss & M. Tonry (Eds.), Communities and crime (pp. 387–416). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, H., Boruch, R., Petrosino, A., Lavenberg, J., DeMoya, D. & Rothstein, H. (2003). Populating an international web-based randomized trials register in social, behavioral, criminological, and education sciences. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 589, 203–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, T. (2000). Social justice: Outcomes and procedures. International Journal of Psychology 35, 117–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, T. (2001). Public trust and confidence in legal authorities: What do majority and minority groups members want from the law and legal institutions? Behavioral Sciences and the Law 19, 215–235.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd, D. (1997). Reorienting crime prevention research and policy: From causes of criminality to the context of crime. Research report. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd, D. & Braga, A. (2003). Hot spots policing. In H. Kury & J. Obergfell-Fuchs (Eds.), Crime prevention: New approaches (pp. 337–354). Mainz, Germany: Weisser Ring.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd, D. & Eck, J. (2004). What can police do to reduce crime, disorder, and fear? Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 593, 42–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd, D. & Green, L. (1994). Defining the street level drug market. In D. MacKenzie & C. Uchida (Eds.), Drugs and crime: Evaluating public policy initiatives (pp. 61–76). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd, D. & Green, L. (1995a). Policing drug hot Spots: The Jersey City DMA experiment. Justice Quarterly 12, 711–736.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd, D. & Green, L. (1995b). Measuring immediate spatial displacement: Methodological issues and problems. In J. Eck & D. Weisburd (Eds.), Crime and place (pp. 349–361). Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd, D., Sherman, L. & Petrosino, A. (1990). Registry of randomized experiments in criminal sanctions, 1950-1983. Los Altos, CA: Sociometrics Corporation, Data Holdings of the National Institute of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd, D., Maher, L. & Sherman, L. (1992). Contrasting crime general and crime specific theory: The case of hot spots of crime. Advances in Criminological Theory, vol. 4 (pp. 45–69). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd, D., Lum, C. & Perosino, A. (2001). Does research design affect study outcomes in criminal justice? Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 578, 50–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd, D., Mastrofski, S., McNally, A.M., Greenspan, R. & Willis, J. (2003). Reforming to preserve: Compstat and strategic problem solving in American policing. Criminology and Public Policy 2, 421–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Werthman, C. & Piliavin, I. (1967). Gang members and the police. In D. Bordua (Ed.), The police: Six sociological essays (pp. 56–98). New York: Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, D. B. (2001). Meta-analytic methods for criminology. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 578, 71–89.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management of the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    Anthony A. Braga

Authors
  1. Anthony A. Braga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anthony A. Braga.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Braga, A.A. Hot spots policing and crime prevention: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Exp Criminol 1, 317–342 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-005-8133-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-005-8133-z

Key words

Search

Navigation