Does proactive policing make a difference in crime? An implementation of problem‐solving policing in Israel

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed increasing awareness of the need for a structural change in the traditional perspective of the police on their activities. Specifically, serious criticism has been directed against the reactive nature of police work and there has been a call for the development of preventive and proactive strategies. The present study focused on the evaluation of one such strategy, called ‘'problem‐oriented policing,’’ implemented in a special proactive unit recently established in Israel to handle motor vehicle theft. The unit caused a significant decrease in the number of offenses committed, but has not succeeded in changing the sophisticated, professional profile of the offense.