Axis
Policing
Problems addressed
Crime and delinquency (multiple types)
Robberies

Effectiveness

Mixed Evidence

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Mixed Evidence

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Description

Neighborhood Watch (also known as “community surveillance“) is a strategy developed by the police and/or the residents of a given territory. The objective is to strengthen the links between the residents and the police by exchanging information about suspicious activities in the neighborhood and transmitting it more quickly to the police.
This type of intervention is combined with situational prevention initiatives, such as the use of surveillance cameras, warning signs, and also chat applications for cell phones that streamline the exchange of information between residents and police officers in the neighborhood.

Country of application
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
Evidence

A systematic review by the Campbell Collaboration was based on 19 studies (covering 43 evaluations), and the meta-analysis was based on 12 studies (covering 18 evaluations) concerning Neighborhood Watch programs between 1977 and 1994 [1].
The main finding of the meta-analysis was that Neighborhood Watch is associated with a modest but statistically significant reduction in crime (primarily residential burglary/theft), estimated to be between 16% and 26%.
However, the same systematic review reported not finding any statistically significant impacts on victimization. It is possible that the lack of statistical significance is due to the small number of study samples used in the analysis.

Bibliography

[1] Bennett, T., Holloway, K., Farrington, D. (2008). The Effectiveness of Neighborhood Watch. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 4(1), 1–46. https://doi.org/10.4073/csr.2008.18

Information Source

Evaluated cases

Kirkholt Burglary Prevention Project (England)

Axis: Policing
Type: Neighborhood Watch
Effectiveness:

Effective

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Effective
Problem type:
Robberies
Country:
United Kingdom
Open

Minneapolis Community Crime Prevention (MCCP)

Axis: Policing
Type: Neighborhood Watch
Effectiveness:

No Effect

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No Effect
Problem type:
Robberies, Fear of crime and/or sensation of insecurity
Country:
United States
Open

Seattle Community Crime Prevention Program (CCPP)

Axis: Policing
Type: Neighborhood Watch
Effectiveness:

Effective

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Effective
Problem type:
Robberies
Country:
United States
Open

Portland (OR) Burglary Prevention Project

Axis: Policing
Type: Neighborhood Watch
Effectiveness:

Effective

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Effective
Problem type:
Robberies
Country:
United States
Open

Neighborhood Watch

Axis: Policing
Type: Neighborhood Watch
Effectiveness:

No Effect

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No Effect
Problem type:
Crime and delinquency (multiple types)
Country:
United Kingdom
Open

Why might the cases evaluated have different levels of effectiveness in relation to their respective type of solution?
Click here to understand why.

Some cases were not included in the evidence bank due to deficiencies detected in the methodology of their impact evaluations.
Click here to see the list

 

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