An impact evaluation found that program results differed by city. While all cities experienced net decreases in burglaries or thefts in the treatment areas, results were only significant in some cities and for specific time periods during the 6 months of the intervention [1].
La Plata experienced the largest decreases, including a significant 31% reduction in robberies in the second half of the intervention and a 39% reduction in thefts in the first half of the intervention. The other cities saw non-significant reductions or increases in robberies and thefts. No displacement of pedestrian crimes or vehicle thefts was observed. Differences in impact among the cities are likely associated with differences in the management of each intervention and differences in dosage in each city.
The study had a quasi-experimental design and was conducted over a 115-week period with a sample of 848 treatment units and 1,202 control units, and presented a preliminary process evaluation that recorded the planning, implementation, and monitoring of the program for each of the cities.