Hot Spots Across the Metropolis: Evaluating Hot Spots Directed Patrol at City and Suburban Locations

Abstract

The effectiveness of hot spots policing is widely supported but past research focuses primarily in high-crime areas within large metropolitan areas. What is unknown is whether the tactic works in less populated or lower crime locations such as suburbs. This study fills this gap by conducting a department-wide hot spots patrol experiment in Louisville, Kentucky. The study used block randomization to identify 47 hot spot pairs, 24 pairs located in the city and 23 pairs in the suburbs. The intervention examined the impact of directed patrol across three difference-in-difference outcomes: crime-related calls for service (CFS), part 1 crimes, and soft crimes. Ordinary least squares regression results indicate the intervention did not have significant effect on the three outcomes; however, hot spot location impacted crime-related CFS. The study concludes by discussing the importance and limitations of hot spots policing in suburban locations and the challenges of department-wide interventions.