Braga et al., 1999: Cleaning up signs of physical disorder in crime hotspots reduced criminal incidents and calls for service among Jersey City citizens over six months
Reference:
Braga, A. A., Weisburd, D. L., Waring, E. J., Mazerolle, L. G., Spelman, W., & Gajewski, F. (1999). Problem-oriented policing in violent crime places: A randomized controlled experiment. Criminology, 37(3), 541-580.
Download PDFSummary:
Problem-oriented policing of crime hotspots in Jersey City, NJ (e.g., “cleaning up the environment through aggressive order maintenance and making physical improvements, such as securing vacant lots or removing trash”) reduced criminal incidents and citizen calls for service over 6 months, as compared to a 6-month baseline period and to crime hot spots randomized to standard policing over the same period.
Psychological Process:
Need
Need to BelongWhat Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
To Feel Connected, Included, Respected, and Valued by OthersApproach to Desired Meaning
What about it?
Link Belonging to a Behavior or Attitude to Motivate Positive ChangeHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
What is typical or valued here?What is typical or valued here?Changing beliefs about social norms to motivate positive behaviorsPsychological Question Addressed
What is typical or valued here?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Social Area:
Crime
Intervention Technique:
Prompting by altering situations