Dallas Police Department Disruption Unit (DU)
Axios
Solution types
Effectiveness

Mixed Evidence

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Mixed Evidence

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

This is a police task force comprising a team of 20 police officers, three sergeants, and a lieutenant. These execute the rotating saturation patrol method in the conflictive areas with the objective of reducing crime there, especially serious crime and gang activity.
The strategy included numerous traffic roadblocks, field interviews, and arrests. The team would remain at one hot spot for two to four hours and then move to another hot spot with high crime rates, based on statistics collected in the two weeks prior to the patrolling. Officers were exempted from responding to emergency calls and worked 10-hour shifts Wednesday through Saturday.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation showed that violent crime decreased by 9.4%, riot crime by 6.6%, and property crime by 1.5%. There were no residual effects of hot spot policing. The number of police arrests was the most significant factor in the reduction of violent crime and riot crime [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Jang, H., Lee, C.‑B. & Hoover, L. T. (2012). Dallas’ disruption unit: Efficacy of hot spots deployment. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 35(3), 593–614. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639511211250811