Design and Preliminary Findings from the PSN Evaluation National Assessment Component

• In Event: NIJ-Day: Multilevel Evaluation of Project Safe Neighborhoods

Abstract

RTI’s national assessment of PSN will result in an independent, objective, and statistically sound assessment of the impact of PSN on violence in the U.S. Attorney districts. The national assessment is focused on understanding the effectiveness of the enhanced PSN model for reducing violent crime and the factors that influence effectiveness from district to district.
This presentation describes the national assessment methodology, including analysis of crime trends; semi-structured interviews with PSN Coordinators to gather key implementation information; a web-based stakeholder survey of PSN Task Force members in each district including law enforcement, prosecutorial, community, and research partners; and extraction of information from materials submitted to DOJ. We will present interim findings on PSN implementation; changes in crime rates in US Attorney districts since 2015; and the relationship between implementation and trends in violent crime, controlling for community characteristics and other external influences. We will also describe a subset analysis of target enforcement areas within districts for a more nuanced examination of PSN implementation and comparison between PSN intervention sites and comparable non-intervention sites.

Author

• Lynn Langton, RTI International