Plain Language Summary
1.1 Focused deterrence is associated with moderate reductions in crime
1.1.1 The review in brief
A relatively small number of people, often involved in gangs and criminally‐active groups, are responsible for a disproportionate share of crime. Focused deterrence strategies attempt to reduce offending behavior for specific types of crime. Our review suggests that these strategies are associated with moderate overall reductions in crime. Crime is not displaced to other areas, rather it is more likely that there is a diffusion of crime control benefits to adjacent areas and socially‐connected groups of offenders.
1.2 What is this review about?
Crime is highly concentrated amongst a small number of highly‐active offenders. Focused deterrence strategies combine law enforcement, community mobilization, and social services in an attempt to reduce offending behavior for specific crime types. A key feature of this crime control strategy involves the direct communications of the consequences of continued criminal offending and the availability of social services to targeted subjects. This review examines whether focused deterrence reduces crime and considers how observed crime reduction effects may vary by the different types of focused deterrence strategies and program evaluation designs.
