Law Enforcement

Knowing what to do starts with knowing what works, and what hasn't. CrimeSolutions helps practitioners and policymakers understand what programs & practices work, are promising, or haven't worked yet.

On this page you can find programs and practices related to Law Enforcement. Select "Search Filters" to narrow down the list by rating, extent of evidence, and many other aspects of the programs or practices. Skip to Practices

CrimeSolutions’ ratings are assigned from standardized reviews of rigorous evaluations and meta-analyses. While we encourage you to learn more about this process, you don’t need to in order to benefit from it. Our clear ratings and profiles can help you determine if a program or category of program is worth pursuing.

Evidence Ratings Defined
Icon	Rating	Description
	Effective	Implementing the program, or a program encompassed by the practice, is likely to result in the intended outcome(s).
	Promising	Implementing the program, or a program encompassed by the practice, may result in the intended outcome(s).
	Ineffective	Implementing the program, or a program encompassed by the practice, is unlikely to result in the intended outcome(s).
	Negative Effects	Implementing the program, or program encompassed by the practice, will not result in intended outcome(s) and may result in harmful effects.

Programs

1 2 3 4 5…14Next

Show entries

Showing 1 to 10 of 135 entries

Title Evidence Rating Topics Summary RCT

Program Profile: Police Body-Worn Cameras (Turkey)

Promising | One study

Procedural justice, Law enforcement, Promising Evidence Rating

This intervention involves officers wearing cameras on their uniforms to increase citizens’ intentions to comply with police and improve their perceptions of police during traffic stops. The program is rated Promising. Drivers who encountered officers with cameras had statistically significant increases in both compliance and cooperation with officers and improved perceptions of procedural justice and police legitimacy, compared with drivers who encountered officers not wearing cameras.

Date Posted: 9/4/24

None

Program Profile: Denver (Colorado) Crime Gun Intelligence Center

Promising | One study

Violent crime, Assault, Gun violence, Homicide, Robbery, Law enforcement, Arrests, Databases, Evidence, Policing strategies, Crime prevention, Prosecution, Courts, Law enforcement operations, Investigations

The program focuses on reducing violent gun crime by disrupting the cycle of gun violence by relying on forensic science and data analysis to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals who use guns in criminal activity, and the sources of their guns. The program is rated Promising. The program did not significantly affect homicides or aggravated assaults with a firearm but was shown to significantly reduce violent crime and robbery with a firearm.

Date Posted: 8/15/24

None

Program Profile: Risk-Based Policing Initiative (Kansas City, Missouri)

Promising | One study

Situational crime prevention, Violent crime, Community policing, Policing strategies, Law enforcement

This program was a place-based crime policing initiative implemented for 1 year to reduce violent crime. Risk-based policing initiatives promote data-informed decisions based on a process of defining the problem, gathering information, and analyzing data. The program is rated Promising. The program resulted in a statistically significant reduction of 22.6 percent in violent crimes in the intervention areas, compared with the comparison areas.

Date Posted: 4/24/24

None

Program Profile: The Impact of Mobile Technology Devices on Street Checks and Crime Incidents (Australia)

Promising | One study

Law enforcement, Computers, Internet, Databases, Policing strategies, Patrol, Crime prevention, Intimate partner violence, Violent crime

The mobile device and software for this program were developed to enable frontline police officers to access police database records and upload timely and accurate information while out in the field. This program is rated Promising. The program led to statistically significantly increases in the total number of recorded street checks, the total number of recorded driving offenses, and the number of drug offenses (possession and use) recorded per month by police officers.

Date Posted: 4/24/24

Randomized Controlled Trial

Program Profile: Imprisonment for Individuals Who Committed a Drunk Driving Offense (New South Wales, Australia)

Ineffective | One study

Alcohol-Related Offenses, Alcohol, Prisons, Corrections, Recidivism, Crime prevention, Courts, Traffic laws, Traffic law enforcement, Law enforcement, Substance abuse, Legal substances, Drugs, No Effects Evidence Rating

This involves prison time for individuals who have committed drunk-driving offenses to reduce their risk of recidivism upon their release. The program is rated Ineffective. There was no statistically significant difference between individuals in the treatment group (who received prison time) and the comparison group (who received a suspended imprisonment sentence) on reoffending with a driving-while-under-the-influence-of-alcohol offense within 6 months’, 24 months’, or 5 years’ time.

Date Posted: 2/4/24

None

Program Profile: Police Body-Worn Cameras (Boston, Massachusetts)

Effective | One study

Arrests, Sensors/Surveillance, Use of force, Law enforcement, Crime prevention, Situational crime prevention, Law enforcement operations, Arrests

This involves police officers wearing cameras on their uniforms to improve the civility of their interactions with citizens. The program is rated Effective. There were statistically significant reductions in citizen complaints against police and police use-of-force reports for officers who wore cameras, compared with those who did not, and statistically significant reductions in complaints against control officers in the treatment districts, compared with officers in the untreated districts.

Date Posted: 2/4/24

Randomized Controlled Trial

Program Profile: Operation Rowan (United Kingdom)

Promising | One study

Arson, Burglary, Assault, Robbery, Sensors/Surveillance, Patrol, Law enforcement, Sanctions, Problem-oriented policing, Policing strategies, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement, Crime prevention, Victims of crime

This program involves 15 minutes of police patrol in high-crime hot spots to reduce crime. The program is rated Promising. There were statistically significant reductions in reports of violent crimes and robbery and other crimes against personal victims in hot spots on treatment days, compared with control days.

Date Posted: 11/26/23

Randomized Controlled Trial

Program Profile: North Dakota’s 24/7 Sobriety Program

Promising | One study

Alcohol-Related Offenses, Drug testing, Probation, Law enforcement, Sanctions, Traffic laws, Traffic law enforcement, Crime prevention, Legal substances, Substance abuse, Drugs

This program seeks to reduce the rearrests of individuals previously convicted of driving while under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs through intensive testing and monitoring of drug and alcohol consumption. The program is rated Promising. There was a statistically significant decrease in the rates of DUI arrests by roughly 9 percent in counties that implemented the program, compared with counties that did not implement the program.

Date Posted: 8/15/23

None

Program Profile: Geographically Based Focused Deterrence Intervention (Midwest)

Promising | One study

Gang Crime, Gun violence, Law enforcement, Crime prevention

This was a focused deterrence intervention designed to reduce the presence of gun violence and gang activity. The program is rated Promising. There was a statistically significant reduction in confirmed shots fired, residents’ reports of hearing gunshots, and residents’ reports of seeing gang activity. However, there was no statistically significant impact on calls for service for shots fired.

Date Posted: 8/2/23

None

Program Profile: School-Based Law Enforcement Framework (Texas)

Ineffective | One study

School safety, Training, School climate, Schools, Juvenile delinquency, Crime prevention, Child health and welfare, Juvenile (under 18), Victimization, Victims of crime, School climate

This is a framework of recommended practices for integrating police into the educational environment to enhance a safe school climate. The program is rated Ineffective. There were no statistically significant differences in treatment and control school students’ delinquency, victimization, exclusionary discipline, relationships with adults, perceptions of police, nor school bonding, connectedness, and safety. Treatment school students had statistically significant increases in rule clarity.

Date Posted: 4/17/23

Randomized Controlled Trial

Showing 1 to 10 of 135 entries

1 2 3 4 5…14Next

Download CSV

Practices

1 2 3Next

Show entries

Showing 1 to 10 of 21 entries

Title	Topics	Summary
Practice Profile: Police-Initiated Pedestrian Stops to Reduce Crime	Policing strategies, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Use of force, Law enforcement, Crime prevention, Law enforcement operations, Investigations, Mental health	Police-initiated pedestrian stops involve police officers’ stopping, questioning, and investigating pedestrians on the street, usually based on suspicion of criminal behavior or activity. Generally, the goal of the stops is to prevent or reduce the occurrence of crime and disorder. The practice is rated Promising for reducing measures of crime and displacement but was rated Ineffective for improving measures of mental and physical health of citizens who were stopped by police. Date Posted: 12/19/23
Practice Profile: Mindfulness Training for Law Enforcement to Reduce Occupational Impact	Training, Law enforcement	This practice encompasses a wellness intervention that seeks to reduce the negative impact of stress on police officers, to improve their mental health outcomes. The practice is rated Effective for improving measures of depression, anxiety, and burnout. The practice is rated Ineffective for improving measures of sleep quality. Date Posted: 12/19/23
Practice Profile: Body-Worn Cameras’ Effects on Police Officer Behavior	Assault, Sensors/Surveillance, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Law enforcement operations, Arrests, Violent crime, Crime prevention, Equipment and technology	This practice involves the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement. The aim of this practice is to record interactions from an officer’s point of view to improve accountability and positively affect police officer behavior. The practice is rated Ineffective for its effects on officer use of force, officer injuries, officer-initiated calls for service, traffic stops, field interviews, and arrest incidents. Date Posted: 1/7/22
Practice Profile: Red-Light Camera Interventions for Reducing Traffic Violations and Crashes	Sensors/Surveillance, Vehicles, Property crime, Crime prevention, Traffic laws, Traffic law enforcement, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement, Equipment and technology	Red-light cameras are a traffic enforcement mechanism that permit police to remotely enforce traffic signals, to deter red-light running at signalized intersections. Red-light cameras are a fully automated photo detection system that includes cameras, sensors or triggers, and a computer. The practice is rated Promising for reducing total injury crashes. The practice is rated Ineffective for reducing total crashes, total property-damage-only crashes, or total red-light-running crashes. Date Posted: 12/20/21
Practice Profile: Psychological Treatments for Adults With Histories of Violent Offending	Mental health, Corrections, Prisons, Inmate programs, Intimate partner violence	This practice consists of talk-based therapies aimed at reducing violent, aggressive, or antisocial behavior of adults with a history of violent offending. Therapies include cognitive-behavioral therapy, anger management programs, and violence reduction programs. This practice is rated Promising for reducing trait anger and impulsivity and for improving social problem solving, and general social skills. This practice is rated Ineffective for reducing antisocial cognitions. Date Posted: 11/22/21
Practice Profile: Rehabilitation Programs for Adults Convicted of a Crime	Parole, Probation, Mental health, Drug courts, Mental health courts, Jails, Corrections, Community corrections, Inmate assistance programs, Prisons, Reentry, Drug abuse prevention and education, Drugs, Recidivism, Crime prevention, Problem-solving courts, Prosecution, Law enforcement, Drug treatment	This practice includes programs that are designed to reduce recidivism among adults by improving their behaviors, skills, mental health, social functioning, and access to education and employment. They may become participants in rehabilitation programs during multiple points in their involvement with the criminal justice system. This practice is rated Promising for reducing recidivism among adults who have been convicted of an offense. Date Posted: 2/11/20
Practice Profile: Geographically Focused Policing Initiatives	Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Situational crime prevention, Law enforcement, Law enforcement operations	Geographically focused policing initiatives increase the presence and visibility of police officers at specific high-crime locations to significantly reduce crime and disorder. This practice is rated Promising for reducing crime in treatment areas relative to control areas. Date Posted: 12/11/19
Practice Profile: Gang Membership Prevention Programs	Youth gangs, Gangs, Gang Crime, Crime prevention	This practice includes programs that are designed to deter youth from joining gangs. Programs can be delivered either to a universal population (i.e., all youth regardless of risk level), or to youth identified as being at-risk for gang membership. Programs include preventive awareness strategies and gang membership prevention strategies. The practice is rated Promising for reducing the likelihood that youth will join a gang. Date Posted: 7/15/19
Practice Profile: Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs)	Community policing, Jails, Corrections, Community corrections, Courts, Diversion, Law enforcement, Arrests	This practice comprises specialized police-led, pre-booking jail diversion responses to individuals with mental illness. The goals are to reduce police officers’ injuries and use of force, and to reduce arrests of individuals with mental illness. The practice is rated Ineffective for reducing arrests of individuals with mental illness and reducing trained police officers’ use of force in situations involving mentally ill individuals. Date Posted: 10/9/18
Practice Profile: Adult Reentry Programs	Mental health, Reentry courts, Jails, Prisons, Correctional facilities, Corrections, Inmate programs, Probation, Community corrections, Recidivism, Crime prevention, Problem-solving courts, Law enforcement	This practice involves correctional programs that focus on the transition of individuals from prison into the community. Reentry programs involve treatment or services that have been initiated while the individual is in custody and a follow-up component after the individual is released. The practice is rated Promising for reducing recidivism. Date Posted: 7/9/18

Showing 1 to 10 of 21 entries

1 2 3Next

Download CSV

Law Enforcement

Select Filters

Enter search criteria

Sort by

Select Filters

Enter search criteria

Sort by