Problem-Oriented Policing in Suburban Low-Income Housing: A Quasi-Experiment

Abstract

Informed by the literature on prior problem-oriented policing evaluations, this study evaluated a response within a suburban public housing unit. Specifically, we examined the Crime Response Team (CRT), a multifaceted intervention, in relation to disaggregated calls for service and reported crime. We utilized a quasi-experimental design combining interrupted time-series analysis (ARIMAX) and series hazard models in order to assess the intervention’s effect. A possible diffusion site and two pseudointervention sites were also included for comparison purposes. This investigation yielded largely negligible effects, which we primarily attributed to a mismatch between administrative-led initiatives and program execution.