Re-analyzing the results of a community policing study leads to a more positive conclusion about its effects

Nov 01, 2024

News

By Crime and Justice Research Alliance

In the last 30 years, community-oriented policing has been a key innovation in policing. But while this proactive approach boosts citizens’ evaluations of police, evidence is sparse that it reduces crime.

In a new study, researchers suggest that this conclusion is likely flawed because of crime reporting sensitivity (CRS) bias. Re-analyzing the results of a prior study, researchers reached a very different, more positive conclusion about community policing, suggesting that future research should consider CRS bias.

The study, by researchers at George Mason University (GMU) and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is published in the Journal of Law and Empirical Analysis.

David Weisburd

Topics:

Research Areas:

Criminal network analysis

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