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PROBLEM‐ORIENTED POLICING IN VIOLENT CRIME PLACES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT *
Author(s) -
BRAGA ANTHONY A.,
WEISBURD DAVID L.,
WARING ELIN J.,
MAZEROLLE LORRAINE GREEN,
SPELMAN WILLIAM,
GAJEWSKI FRANCIS
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
criminology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.467
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1745-9125
pISSN - 0011-1384
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1999.tb00496.x
Subject(s) - violent crime , criminology , psychological intervention , control (management) , crime control , psychology , political science , sociology , computer security , criminal justice , economics , computer science , management , psychiatry
Over the past decade, problem‐oriented policing has become a central strategy for policing. In a number of studies, problem‐oriented policing has been found to be effective in reducing crime and disorder. However, very little is known about the value of problem‐oriented interventions in controlling violent street crime. The National Academy of Sciences' Panel on the Understanding and Control of Violent Behavior suggests that sustained research on problem‐oriented policing initiatives that modify places, routine activities, and situations that promote violence could contribute much to the understanding and control of violence. This study evaluates the effects of problem‐oriented policing interventions on urban violent crime problems in Jersey City, New Jersey. Twenty‐four high‐activity, violent crime places were matched into 12 pairs and one member of each pair was allocated to treatment conditions in a randomized block field experiment. The results of the impact evaluation support the growing body of research that asserts focused police efforts can reduce crime and disorder at problem places without causing crime problems to displace to surrounding areas.