Beat Health Unit
Problems addressed
Effectiveness

Effective

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Effective

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Life periods served
Where the program was applied
Country of application
Description

This is a police intervention focused on reducing the physical and social signs of crime in vulnerable neighborhoods, with the aim of breaking the cycle of victimization and increasing safety.
The police department worked together with representatives of the municipal government to tackle areas with high incident rates, drug trafficking arrests, and community complaints. Officers contacted residents and property owners to clarify their rights and duties, as well as to provide advice on simple crime prevention measures to increase confidence in police work and in the mission to clean up the troubled area.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation showed that the average number of incidents associated with drug trafficking decreased by 7%, while the control group experienced an average 54.7% increase. Residential areas experienced greater reductions in this type of problem than commercial areas (13.2% versus 45.2%, respectively) [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Mazerolle, L. G., Price, J. F. & Roehl, J. (2000). A randomized field trial in Oakland, California. Evaluation Review, 24(2), 212–241. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193841X0002400203