An Example of Applied Research Reducing Crime Through

An Example of Applied Research Reducing Crime Through Street Closures

9/10/2020 Does Reducing Street Access Reduce Crime? • Used by numerous cities in an effort to reduce crime in high crime areas. • Has important policy and practice implication for policing • If asked-what would you advise about closing streets? • What is your experience with closing streets to control and reduce crime? 2

9/10/2020 What Does Research Reveal About Street Access and Crime? 1. Offenders find targets in familiar territory. 2. Offenders are quick to recognize a closely knit neighborhood and the presence of people who might notice them. 3. Burglars avoid cul-de-sacs and prefer corner sites where neighbors are less likely to see them. 3

9/10/2020 What Does Research Reveal About Street Access and Crime? Reducing through-traffic by closing streets or alleys means: • Criminal outsiders are less likely to be familiar with the area; • Residents learn who doesn’t belong in the neighborhood, which helps them keep watch near their homes; • Residents committing crime in their own neighborhood cannot easily blame outsiders and thus deflect suspicion from themselves; 4

9/10/2020 What Does Research Reveal About Street Access and Crime? Reducing through-traffic by closing streets or alleys means: • Burglars cannot so easily gain access to properties, especially from alleys behind houses; • Escape routes for robbers are blocked off; and • Drive-by shootings are prevented because cars cannot easily enter a street, or because they have to backtrack to escape, exposing them to retaliation. 5

9/10/2020 How Should You Meet the Concerns of Those Who Oppose Street/Alley Closures? • Residents • Nearby neighborhoods • City Officials and Essential Service Providers (sanitation, fire, EMS) • The public at large, the media, and politicians 6

9/10/2020 How Should You Meet the Concerns of Those Who Oppose Closures? 7

9/10/2020 The SARA Process and Street Closures 1. Identify and Select the Problem Area 2. Analyzing the Problem 3. Getting Support 4. Implementing the Closures 5. Assessing Effectiveness 8

9/10/2020 Analyzing the Problem • Are the neighborhood’s boundaries clearly defined? • Is there reliable data about types of crime or disorder that are the concern? • What proportion of crimes are committed by outsiders? • How do they reach the neighborhood (by car or on foot)? • Do you know whether they go to the neighborhood specifically to commit crimes, or whether they just do so when passing through? 9

9/10/2020 Analyzing the Problem • How much crime will the barriers prevent? • What are the alternatives to street closures (e. g. , CCTV, neighborhood watch, crackdowns, target-hardening)? • Why could these alternatives not adequately substitute for closures? 10

9/10/2020 Getting Support • Is there support from police district commanders, the chief, and other key city officials (e. g. , traffic engineer)? • Is there a clear mandate from residents and elected representatives to proceed? • Are residents content with the barriers’ appearance? • Are there resident concerns about neighborhood stigmatization? • Who will have keys (if keys are needed)? • What about the concerns of nearby communities about displaced traffic and crime? 11

9/10/2020 Getting Support • Are there concerns from emergency service providers (fire, ambulance, and police)? • Is the plan acceptable to garbage pickup, snow removal, and mail delivery service providers? • Does the plan accommodate any special needs of public transport or school buses serving the neighborhood? • Will the plan avoid excessive difficulties for delivery and cab drivers? • Is the local media briefed about the need for closures? • Is there a plan for dealing with public opposition? 12

9/10/2020 Implementing the Closures • How many streets and/or alleys will be closed? • Is there a map showing where the closures will be made? • Is there an explanation regarding the effect on neighborhood access and traffic patterns? • What kind of barriers will be installed? • How much will the barriers cost? 13

9/10/2020 Implementing the Closures • How long will it take to install the barriers once agreement has been reached? • Who will install the barriers? • Does the plan include a trial period? If so, is it long enough to assess the closures’ effect on crime? • How will it be decided whether to make the closures permanent? • Does the plan ensure that any legal requirements for implementing closures can be met? 14

9/10/2020 Assessing Effectiveness • Is it possible to compare neighborhood crime or disorder before the closures with that after the closures? • Will the before-and-after time periods be comparable? • Is it possible to directly compare the proportions of crime committed by outsiders in the before-and-after periods? 15

9/10/2020 Assessing Effectiveness • Is it possible to compare before-and-after crime trends in the neighborhood with those in nearby neighborhoods? • Is it possible to examine possible displacement/diffusion? • Is it possible to estimate barrier cost-effectiveness? 16

9/10/2020 How Effective Are Street and Alley Closures? 17

9/10/2020 How Effective Are Street and Alley Closures? 18

9/10/2020 How Effective Are Street and Alley Closures? 19

9/10/2020 An Example of Applied Research One Versus Two Officer Patrol Units 20

9/10/2020 Deployment of One-Versus Two Officer Patrol Units. Research to Answer Practical Questions • Are there differences in response travel time for one versus two officer units? • Are two officer units more effective at reducing crime than one officer units? • Do two officer units generate more citizen complaints or fewer citizen complaints than one officer units? • Do two officer units result in greater use of force when compared to one officer units? • Are one or two car units more cost effective? 21

9/10/2020 Research Findings • One study found that one-officer units were safer and more cost-effective • But, another study found that two-officer units were safer, cost less since there half as many patrol cars needed, and better quality service since most calls required two officers on the scene • Another study found that one-officer units put twice as many units into the field – increasing visibility, preventive patrol time, great area covered by patrols • Still another study recommended using a mixture of one and two officer units during day shifts and two officer units during night shifts 22

Applied Research-–Prosecutors

9/10/2020 Applied Research for Prosecutors • What types of cases have highest and lowest rates of successful prosecution and what explains these differences? • Do these results suggest a need for more training, better investigations by the police, or other changes in policy/practice? • Over time, have there been changes in rates of successful prosecution of crimes such as homicide, sexual assault, domestic violence? • If so, what might account for these changes? • If not, what changes in policies/practices might increase rates? 24

9/10/2020 Question: Are specialized prosecution units more “effective” than non-specialized units? • Advocates argue that assigning cases to specialized units makes sense in cases—such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and cases involving gang members—with reluctant or fearful victims and complex evidentiary issues • Prosecutor will have a greater understanding of evidentiary issues common to these types of cases and will be better able to manage the victims and witnesses whose testimony will be needed to obtain a conviction. • Also, prosecutors who specialize are able to develop skills needed to successfully prosecute these types of cases 25

9/10/2020 Research Findings • Very limited research on effectiveness • Specialized unit for sexual assaults • Study of two jurisdictions—one with a specialized unit and one without such a unit—found no differences in likelihood that charges would be filed; but jurisdiction with specialized unit more likely to take cases to trial rather than settle through plea bargaining 26

9/10/2020 Research Findings • Specialized Domestic Violence Units • Study of a specialized domestic violence unit found no differences in dismissal rate, conviction rate, or sentence length (compared to DV cases not handled by the unit) • Specialized Units for Gang-Related Crimes • Operation Hardcore—Los Angles County DA’s Office • Tasked with prosecuting serious violent crimes involving hardcore gang members • Study found that gang cases screened by the non-specialized unit were more than 4 times more likely than those screened by the specialized unit to be rejected for prosecution 27

9/10/2020 Applied Research for Courts/Judges • Are convicted offenders receiving sentences that are proportionate to the seriousness of the crime and the culpability of the offender? • Why are cases dismissed by the judge after the prosecutor has filed charges? • witness or victim intimidation, failure to appear for trial, length of time between filing charges and taking the case to court, evidence seized by illegal means • How long does it take to adjudicate various types of cases? Where are the bottlenecks? • Do citizens trust the courts to do justice? To treat all defendants fairly and without prejudice? 28

9/10/2020 Question: Failure to Appear • In what percentage of cases do defendants fail to appear for court appearances? How can courts reduce the FTA rate? • Does reminding defendants of date/time of court appearance reduce FTA rate and does the nature of the reminder matter? 29

9/10/2020 Research Findings • Experimental study in which defendants were assigned to one of four conditions • • No reminder Reminder with date/time/place of court hearing Reminder that also includes negative consequences of not appearing Reminder that also includes both negative consequences of not appearing and positive consequences of appearing 30

9/10/2020 Research Findings • FTA rate was 12. 6% for those who received no reminder and 8. 4% for those who received one of three reminders • FTA rate also reduced for those who received one of two reminders with consequences (compared to those who received reminder with date/time/place only) 31

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