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 Policing Strategies. 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, will achieve the intended outcome.
Promising
Implementing the program, or a program encompassed by the practice, will achieve the intended outcome.
Ineffective
Implementing the program, or a program encompassed by the practice, will not achieve the intended outcome.
Negative Effects
Implementing the program, or program encompassed by the practice, will not result in intended outcome(s) and may result in harmful effects.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Patrol, Situational crime prevention, Policing strategies, Law enforcement, Law enforcement operations, Problem-oriented policing
This policing strategy was designed to deter crime on platforms in high-crime areas of the London Underground. The program is rated Promising. Platforms in the treatment areas had statistically significant reductions in calls for services and crime, relative to the control group, on patrol and nonpatrol days.
Robbery, Databases, Patrol, Policing strategies, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement, Problem-oriented policing
The program involved the use of hot-spots policing tactics in certain neighborhoods of Montevideo to reduce incidents of robbery. The program is rated Promising. Compared with the control group hot-spot areas, treatment group hot-spot areas that received increased police presence (in the form of foot patrol) experienced a statistically significant reduction in robbery.
Burglary, Assault, Community policing, Patrol, Environmental design, Problem-oriented policing, Policing strategies, Law enforcement
This is a police-driven, collaborative, place-based crime-reduction approach focused on a target neighborhood in Tulsa, Okla. The program is rated Promising. The initiative resulted in statistically significant reductions in total crime in both areas of the target neighborhood at the two post-intervention periods and a statistically significant reduction in burglary in one area. There were no statistically significant reductions in disorderly offenses and mixed results on the number of assaults.
This is a parole-based, focused deterrence intervention. The goal of the program is to reduce community-level firearm violence. The program is rated Effective. The intervention was associated with statistically significant reductions in measures of total gun violence, total non-gun violence, and total violence, compared with the synthetic control group.
This is a collaborative law enforcement effort to collect, manage, and analyze crime gun evidence to identify serial shooters, disrupt criminal activity, and prevent future gun violence. The program is rated Promising. Posttest gun crime cases saw statistically significant increases in the likelihood of arrest, but no statistically significant difference in the likelihood of being charged or convicted, compared with cases in the pretest period.
This strategy sought to reduce crime in Philadelphia by testing three different patrol strategies. The program is rated Ineffective. Relative to control areas, there was no statistically significant difference in violent or property crimes in areas using one of two of the patrol strategies. Property crimes in an area using one of the strategies saw a statistically significant decrease, while there was a statistically significant increase in violent crime in areas using two of the strategies.
Gang Crime, Gun violence, Homicide, Violent offenders, Problem-oriented policing, Policing strategies, Violent crime, Crime prevention, Victimization, Victims of crime
This is a focused-deterrence group violence reduction strategy (GVRS) designed to reduce or control gun violence in Oakland, Calif. The program is rated Effective. The intervention was shown to reduce total shootings, gang-involved shootings, suspected gang-involved shootings, and gang shooting victimizations in treatment block groups relative to matched comparison block groups. These differences were all statistically significant.
Problem-oriented policing, Law enforcement, Policing strategies, Patrol, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement
This was an experiment designed to evaluate the effectiveness of hot spots policing in urban and suburban areas. The program is rated No Effects. There were no statistically significant differences between treatment and control hot spots in part 1 crimes, part 2 crimes, and crime-related calls for service. However, results showed a statistically significant reduction in crime-related calls for service in urban locations relative to suburban locations.
Burglary, Larceny/theft, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Policing strategies, Property crime, Crime prevention, Larceny/theft, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement
This program relies on hot spots policing strategies to prevent thefts from vehicles and residential burglaries in “micro-time” hot spots in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The program is rated Effective. There was a statistically significant reduction in thefts from vehicles and residential burglaries in micro-time hot spots that received tactical police responses, compared with micro-time hot spots that received police patrol as usual.
This is a focused deterrence violence-reduction strategy. The goal was to lower the city’s exposure to violent crime, including reducing the numbers of homicides and aggravated assaults committed by chronic violent individuals operating within organized groups and other social networks. The program is rated Ineffective. Two years postimplementation, there was no statistically significant impact on homicides, group-member-involved homicides, and aggravated assaults.
Community policing, Problem-oriented policing, Policing strategies, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement
This is a focused policing strategy to reduce calls for service and crime in hot spots using increased foot patrols by civilian police community support officers. The program is rated Ineffective. Hot spots that were assigned civilian proactive police community support officers did not experience statistically significant reductions in calls for service or crime.
This was a policing strategy designed to reduce the severity of intimate partner violence and the rearrests of males who had been previously arrested for, or had admitted to, a first domestic violence offense and received a conditional caution. The program is rated Promising. Results indicated a statistically significant reduction in frequency and prevalence of rearrests of persons assigned to the treatment group compared with those assigned to the control group.
Community policing, Problem-oriented policing, Policing strategies, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement
This intervention used two hot spots policing strategies (problem solving and directed patrol) to improve citizens’ perceptions of police in St. Louis, Mo. The program is rated Ineffective. Although residents in both treatment groups reported a statistically significant increase in cooperation with the police, the preponderance of evidence suggests that the intervention had no significant impact on citizens’ perceptions of procedural justice, police legitimacy, or police abuse.
Problem-oriented policing, Law enforcement, Crime prevention
This is a policing strategy in which officers may stop and detain an individual if they have reasonable suspicion that the person is committing or about to commit a crime. The program is rated Promising. Significant effects were found on measures of non-traffic-related crime incidents in three of the five boroughs of New York City. A U.S. Federal Court ruled that stop, question, and frisks as implemented were unconstitutional and appointed a special monitor to institute substantive reforms.
This is a criminal investigation method used by law enforcement to increase burglary arrest rates using statistically derived profiles of convicted persons. The intervention was implemented in one police department in Florida for use in active burglary investigations. The program was rated Effective. Results showed a statistically significant increase in burglary arrest rates for the police department that implemented the program.
Vehicles, Dispatching, Patrol, Property crime, Motor vehicle theft, Crime prevention, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement
This program examined whether access to deployment data collected through technology impacted police commanders’ management of resources and led to reductions in crime. The program is rated No Effects. There was a statistically significant decrease in crime at the hot spot level. However, there were no significant differences in crime at the beat level, in consistency between patrols assigned and delivered per beat and per hot spot, or in number of hours of patrol on beats or in hot spots.
This focused deterrence strategy in New Orleans, Louisiana, aims to reduce gang violence and homicide. The program is rated Effective. There were statistically significant reductions found in overall homicide, firearm-related homicide, gang member-involved homicide, and firearm assault from the pretest to the posttest period. Further, New Orleans showed significantly decreased homicide rates after the program was implemented, compared with 14 cities with similar violent crime rates.
Assault, Robbery, Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Policing strategies, Violent crime, Crime prevention, Law enforcement, Law enforcement operations
This experiment assessed the impact of two hot spots policing tactics on firearm violence. The program is rated Promising. Compared with comparison hot spots, hot spots that received self-initiated enforcement experienced a statistically significant reduction in firearm assault rates, but there were no statistically significant differences for hot spots that received directed patrol. There was no statistically significant effect on firearm robbery rates between treatment and comparison hot spots
Robbery, Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Environmental design, Situational crime prevention, Burglary, Property crime, Crime prevention, Traffic law enforcement, Traffic laws, Law enforcement operations, Policing strategies
This is a law-enforcement model in which both location-based crime and automobile crash data is analyzed to determine where such incidents disproportionately occur (“hot spots”) and to employ targeted traffic enforcement strategies. The program is rated Promising. The areas of targeted enforcement experienced statistically significant declines in robberies, burglaries, and traffic crashes.
Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement, Crime prevention
This strategy is aimed at reducing crime at violent-crime hot spots in Philadelphia, Pa., through police foot patrols. It involved having veteran officers patrol areas (an average of 3 miles of streets) during one shift per day. This program is rated Ineffective. Relative to the control areas, increasing foot patrols at violent-crime hot spots had no statistically significant impact on violent crimes, violent felonies, or citizens’ perceptions of crime and safety.
This program consisted of a multi-agency partnership to prevent violence and reduce violence-related emergency room admissions in Cardiff, Wales. The program is rated Promising. The program showed a statistically significant reduction in the rates of total assaults, wounding assaults, and hospital admissions related to violence, compared with the comparison sites. However, there were no statistically significant differences between Cardiff and the comparison sites in the rate of common assaults.
Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Public order offenses, Crime prevention
This program was implemented in three midsized cities near the Los Angeles, California area, with the goal of examining effects on residents’ fear of crime, perceptions of collective efficacy and police legitimacy, and actual and perceived levels of crime and disorder. The program is rated Ineffective. Findings revealed no statistically significant impacts on any of the dependent variables, suggesting no indication of either beneficial effects or “backfire” effects in targeted areas.
Drug possession, Databases, Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Procedural justice, Drug markets, Crime prevention, Law enforcement
A problem-oriented policing strategy that aims to combat drug markets and the problems associated with them, in a high- crime neighborhood, through a deterrence-based, pulling levers framework. The program is rated Promising. The program was shown to significantly reduce nonviolent offenses in the target area, but not violent offenses.
Drug possession, Databases, Evidence, Surveillance, Warrants, Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Procedural justice, Vehicles, Policing strategies, Drug markets, Drug trafficking, Crime prevention, Arrests
A problem-oriented policing program that aims to eliminate overt drug markets and the problems associated with them through a deterrence-based, pulling-levers framework. The program is rated Effective. The Intervention had a statistically significant impact on reducing violent incidents in the target areas.
Assault, Gun violence, Homicide, Robbery, Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Violent crime, Crime prevention, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement, Policing strategies
This was a saturation foot-patrol initiative implemented in Newark, N.J., in 2008 that aimed to reduce violent crime. The program is rated Promising. The target area that implemented the initiative experienced statistically significant reductions in overall violence and incidences of aggravated assault and shootings, compared with the control area. However, there was no statistically significant effect on incidences of murder or robbery.
Databases, Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Situational crime prevention
This is a community-based program that brings police, local government agencies, and the community together to prioritize problems and prevention efforts in Chicago, Ill. The goal is to solve neighborhood crime problems, rather than react to only to their symptomatic consequences. The program is rated Promising. Police beats or geographical units that implemented the program experienced a statistically significant reduction in crime and calls to 911, compared with police beats that did not.
Assault, Gun violence, Homicide, Robbery, Community policing, Problem-oriented policing, Situational crime prevention, Rape and sexual assault, Law enforcement
This is a place-based, problem-oriented policing strategy implemented by the Boston (Mass.) Police Department in response to a sudden increase in violent index crimes. The program is rated Promising. Treatment street units experienced statistically significant reductions in total violent index crime, robbery, and aggravated assault, compared with control street units. However, there was no statistically significant effect on incidents of homicide or rape/sexual assault.
Gang Crime, Gun violence, Homicide, Violent offenders, Truancy, Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Jobs and workforce development, Crime prevention, Policing strategies, Intimate partner violence
This is a problem-oriented policing program that offered a collection of enforcement and non-enforcement strategies designed to reduce homicide in Richmond, Calif. The initiative combined traditional law enforcement practices with prevention and intervention efforts that involved partnerships with the community, other city agencies, and local schools. This program is rated Promising. There was a statistically significant reduction of homicides following the implementation of the initiative.
This police foot patrol strategy involved rookie officers patrolling an average beat of 1.3 miles during one shift per day in hot spots in Philadelphia, PA. This program is rated Effective. Compared with the control areas, there were statistically significant reductions in reported violent crime in patrolled areas, although the effect faded once officers were removed from their targeted beats.
This is a focused policing strategy, designed to reduce violent crime in high-crime locations in Jersey City, N.J., by modifying specific characteristics and situations that promote violence in targeted areas. The program is rated Promising. Total citizen calls for service and total reported criminal incidents were reduced in treatment locations, compared with control locations. These findings were statistically significant.
Drug trafficking, Community policing, Problem-oriented policing, Situational crime prevention, Drug markets
This is a hot spots policing program that targeted identified drug activity locations to reduce public disorder by engaging local residents and business owners and applying pressure through crackdowns. The program is rated Promising. The treatment group hot spots showed a statistically significant decrease in disorder-related offenses, compared with the control group hot spots. However, there were no statistically significant differences in violent or property offenses.
Arson, Burglary, Larceny/theft, Motor vehicle theft, Assault, Homicide, Robbery, Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Situational crime prevention, Policing strategies, Property crime, Law enforcement operations, Arrests
This is a geographically focused policing strategy to reduce violent crime in high-crime areas using problem-oriented policing (POP) and saturation/directed patrols. The program is rated No Effects. While there were no statistically significant reductions in any violent or property crime in POP hot spots, or in any violence or property crime in directed patrol hot spots, there were statistically significant reductions in nondomestic violent crime in POP hot spots compared with control hot spots.
Alcohol-Related Offenses, Burglary, Larceny/theft, Assault, Databases, Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Environmental design, Situational crime prevention, Arrests, Law enforcement
This is a crime-reduction strategy that uses a disorder-policing approach to improve physical and social order in high-crime locations in Lowell, Mass. This program is rated Effective. High-crime locations experienced statistically significant reductions in calls for service and in social and physical disorder, compared with control areas.
Gang Crime, Youth gangs, Weapons violations, Gun violence, Homicide, Violent offenders, Warrants, Community policing, Problem-oriented policing, Trauma, Young juvenile offenders, Crime prevention, Assault
This is a problem-solving police strategy, which was designed to reduce gang violence, illegal gun possession, and gun violence in communities in Boston, Mass. The program is rated Effective. There were statistically significant reductions in youth homicide, citywide gun assaults, calls for service, and recovered new guns following implementation of the intervention.
Gang Crime, Youth gangs, Gun violence, Homicide, Violent offenders, Problem-oriented policing, Violent crime, Crime prevention, Policing strategies, Law enforcement
A violence prevention program that uses a public health approach, using trained street violence interrupters and outreach workers, public education campaigns, and community mobilization to reduce shootings and killings. This program is rated Promising. The program was associated with significant reductions in shootings, killings, and retaliatory homicides and also appeared to make shooting hot spots cooler in some neighborhoods but not others.
This is a place-based policing intervention that was designed to reduce crime and disorder associated with homeless encampments in the “Skid Row” section of Los Angeles, Calif. The program is rated Promising. The treatment group areas had statistically significant reductions in nuisance crime, violent crime, and property crime, compared with comparison group areas.
Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Policing strategies, Patrol, Law enforcement operations
This is a program that increased police presence in crime “hot spots” to reduce criminal activity in Minneapolis, Minn. The program is rated Effective. Experimental hot spots experienced statistically significant reductions in citizen calls to police and observed disorder, compared with control hot spots.
Weapons violations, Drug possession, Drug trafficking, Cocaine, Evidence, Surveillance, Warrants, Problem-oriented policing, Law enforcement, Law enforcement operations, Arrests, Policing strategies, Crime prevention, Public order offenses
This was a special police unit that conducted raids of crack houses to reduce crack-related crime and improve public order in Kansas City, Mo. The program is rated No Effects. There were no statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in calls for service (including calls for violent, property, and disorder offenses) and reported offenses (including violent and property offenses).
Assault, Gun violence, Homicide, Drug manufacturing, Drug possession, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing
This is a problem-oriented policing program targeted at high-crime areas and drug corners in Philadelphia, Pa., to prevent violent and drug-related crime. The program is rated Promising. Localized analysis of the intervention group areas (that implemented the program) found statistically significant reductions in violent and drug crime rates. However, there were no statistically significant effects on citywide homicide, violent crime, or drug crime rates.
This is a reentry program in Brooklyn, N.Y., that provides substance abuse treatment, employment, and housing services for parolees. The program is rated Promising. Participants demonstrated a statistically significant lower likelihood of being rearrested or reconvicted, compared with the matched control group. However, there were no significant differences in employment and earnings, cohabitating with a partner and regular contact with their children, or drug and alcohol use.
Fines, Community policing, Problem-oriented policing, Situational crime prevention, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement, Policing strategies
This is a multi-agency team-based, drug-control program in Oakland, Calif., which is designed to reduce drug-related problems and improve habitation conditions at targeted problem areas. The program is rated Effective. Treatment areas experienced a statistically significant decrease in police contacts following the implementation of the program.
Asset forfeiture, Fines, Problem-oriented policing, Crime prevention, Drug abuse prevention and education, Drugs, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement, Policing strategies
This is a program designed to reduce drug dealing at residential rental properties by encouraging improved property management practices. The program is rated Effective. The treatment group that implemented the full program experienced a statistically significant reduction in crime, compared with the control group However, there was no statistically significant difference between the treatment and control groups in the eviction of persons convicted of drug offenses.
Gang Crime, Assault, Gun violence, Homicide, Drug trafficking, Schools, Community policing, Problem-oriented policing, Situational crime prevention, Treatment, Law enforcement operations, Problem-oriented policing, Arrests, Violent crime, Policing strategies, Drugs, Drug treatment
This is a community-based approach to reducing and preventing crime while revitalizing the community. This program is rated No Effects. There were no statistically significant differences in rates of violent crime between the treatment and comparison areas following the crackdown. However, drug offenses increased significantly in the treatment areas, compared with the comparison areas.
This is a policing program designed to reduce crime through the management of police resources in Fort Worth, Texas. The program is rated Promising. Following the implementation of Compstat in Fort Worth, there was a statistically significant reduction in rates of overall crime and property crime, and a statistically significant increase in arrests for minor nuisance offenses. However, there were no statistically significant effects on violent crime rates.
Mental Health & Behavioral Health | Multiple mental health/behavioral health outcomes
Physical Health | Physical health of citizens who come into contact with law enforcement
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.
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.
Community policing, Young juvenile offenders, Juvenile delinquency, Policing strategies, Juvenile (under 18), Crime prevention
This practice includes pre-court interventions or strategies that police can apply as an alternative to court processing or the imposition of formal charges against low-risk youth. This approach is designed to reduce reoffending by minimizing youth contact with the criminal justice system and divert youth toward services that address their psychosocial development and other needs that contribute to their at-risk behavior. The practice is rated Effective for reducing future delinquent behavior.
Alcohol-Related Offenses, Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Environmental design, Situational crime prevention, Policing strategies, Juvenile delinquency, Arrests, Substance abuse, Legal substances, Drugs, Public order offenses
This is a policing strategy to reduce crime and delinquency by focusing efforts on disorderly neighborhood conditions and minor crime offenses. This practice is rated Effective for reducing multiple types of crime and delinquency, and rated Promising for reducing specific types of crimes, including property, violent, and drug and alcohol offenses.
Problem-oriented policing, Law enforcement operations, Public order offenses
This practice includes targeted-policing approaches for reducing drug and drug-related offenses. This practice is rated Promising in reducing reported, drug-related calls for services and offenses against persons. This practice is rated Ineffective in reducing reported property offenses, public order calls for service, and total offenses.
Reducing gun violence is a persistent public policy concern for communities, policymakers and leaders. To reduce gun violence, several strategies have been deployed including public health approaches (e.g., training and safe gun storage); gun buy-back programs; gun laws; and law enforcement strategies. The practice is rated Promising for reducing violent gun offenses.
Community policing, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Crime prevention
These analytic methods are used by police to develop crime prevention and reduction strategies. The practice is rated Promising and led to a significant decline in crime and disorder.
Gang Crime, Youth gangs, Assault, Gun violence, Homicide, Violent offenders, Community policing, Problem-oriented policing, Sentencing, Courts, Juvenile (under 18)
This practice (also referred to as “pulling-levers policing”) includes problem-oriented policing strategies that follow the core principles of deterrence theory. The strategies target specific criminal behavior committed by a small number of individuals who chronically commit offenses, such as youth gang members or those who repeatedly commit violent offenses, who are vulnerable to sanctions and punishment. The practice is rated Promising for reducing crime.
Weapons violations, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Policing strategies, Property crime, Crime prevention, Law enforcement, Crime prevention, Larceny/theft, Patrol, Law enforcement operations, Arrests, Law enforcement, Drugs, Public order offenses
Hot spots policing strategies focus on small geographic areas or places, usually in urban settings, where crime is concentrated. Through hot spots policing strategies, law enforcement agencies can focus limited resources in areas where crime is most likely to occur. This practice is rated Effective for reducing overall crime and rated Promising for reducing violent, property, public order, and drug and alcohol offenses.
