Policing Youth Hot Spots: A Pilot Experiment in Seattle

• In Event: Evidence-Based Crime Policy I

Abstract

A strong evidence-base supports the effectiveness of hot spots policing at preventing crime. However, little research has examined the unique characteristics of juvenile and youth offending at micro-places. Prior research suggests that (1) youth crime is more tightly coupled to place than crime in general, and (2) traditional hot spots policing approaches that focus on crackdown and arrest may be harmful to young people. In this presentation we will report the findings of a pilot experiment in three hot spots of youth crime in Seattle, WA, funded by the COPS Office. The project involved the development of a community-oriented, problem-solving approach that targeted the specific risk factors for youth crime in each location and focused on non-arrest, environmental, and service-based approaches to crime prevention. We describe the project’s impact on crime outcomes, disorder and environmental features, and citizen perceptions, as well as the challenges we identified in identifying hot spots of youth crime and developing police-led partnerships to follow through on problem-solving efforts.

Authors

• Charlotte Gill, George Mason University

• David Weisburd, George Mason University / Hebrew University

• Zoe Vitter, George Mason University