Data-Informed and Place-Based Violent Crime Prevention: The Kansas City, Missouri Risk-Based Policing Initiative
Abstract
The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department sought to reduce violent crime with an evidence-based approach to problem analysis and intervention planning. Informed by hot spot analysis and risk terrain modeling, police and their community partners implemented a place-based crime intervention program focused on key attractors and generators of the environmental backcloth. Target and comparison areas were selected for an outcome evaluation. During the 1-year program time period, violent crimes decreased significantly by over 22%. There was both a significant spatial diffusion of benefits and significantly fewer police officer-initiated actions resulting in arrests or citations. Crime prevention was achieved without an abundance of law enforcement actions against people located at the target areas. Implications for policy and practice are discussed within the contexts of police responses to urgent crime problems and data analytics.
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Hot spot maps/lists are also utilized in intelligence bulletins, which encompass criminal resumés and additional intelligence on prolific offenders in specific hot spots.
“Hot spot maps/lists are also utilized in intelligence bulletins, which encompass criminal resumés and additional intelligence on prolific offenders in specific hot spots (e.g., Caplan et al., 2021).”
From ‘Led by Intelligence': A Scoping Review on the Experimental Evaluation of Intelligence-Led Policing (2024) · cites this paper as Caplan et al., 2021
Prospective hot spot methods differ from retrospective hot spot methods as they create a dynamic aggregation of crime risk zones centered around each criminal incident, providing a more short-term and forward-looking perspective.
“These methods differ from retrospective hot spot methods as they create a dynamic aggregation of crime risk zones centered around each criminal incident, providing a more short-term and forward-looking perspective (Caplan et al., 2021;Kennedy et al., 2022).”
From ‘Led by Intelligence': A Scoping Review on the Experimental Evaluation of Intelligence-Led Policing (2024) · cites this paper as Caplan et al., 2021
Most place-based policing studies also quantified crime displacement effects, including the diffusion of crime control benefits to adjacent areas.
“In addition to analyzing the effects on crime, most place-based policing studies also quantified crime displacement effects, including the diffusion of crime control benefits (a concept introduced by Clarke & Weisburd, 1994) to adjacent areas (e.g.Ariel et al., 2016;Caplan et al., 2021;Collazos et al., 2020;Corsaro et al., 2021;Lum et al., 2011;Rosenfeld et al., 2014;Santos & Santos, 2015;Telep et”
From ‘Led by Intelligence': A Scoping Review on the Experimental Evaluation of Intelligence-Led Policing (2024) · cites this paper as Caplan et al., 2021
These deliberative structures provided a platform for discussing tactical decisions, addressing requirements in the police intelligence infrastructure, and ensuring accountability among stakeholders.
“These structures provided a platform for discussing tactical decisions, addressing requirements in the police intelligence infrastructure, and ensuring accountability among stakeholders (e.g., Ariel et al., 2020;Caplan et al., 2021;Ratcliffe et al., 2021;Santos & Santos, 2016).”
From ‘Led by Intelligence': A Scoping Review on the Experimental Evaluation of Intelligence-Led Policing (2024) · cites this paper as Caplan et al., 2021
Cooperation and deliberation play a crucial role in mitigating treatment integrity failures.
“As mentioned earlier, cooperation and deliberation play a crucial role in mitigating treatment integrity failures (Ariel et al., 2020;Caplan et al., 2021;Ratcliffe et al., 2021;Santos & Santos, 2016).”
From ‘Led by Intelligence': A Scoping Review on the Experimental Evaluation of Intelligence-Led Policing (2024) · cites this paper as Caplan et al., 2021
The nature of the 'policing craft' encompasses the skills, knowledge, heuristics, attitudes, and acquired expertise of police officers in their daily duties.
“One important aspect to consider is the nature of the 'policing craft,' which encompasses the skills, knowledge, heuristics, attitudes, and acquired expertise of police officers in their daily duties (Caplan et al., 2021;Ratcliffe et al., 2011Ratcliffe et al., , 2021;;Wood et al., 2012).”
From ‘Led by Intelligence': A Scoping Review on the Experimental Evaluation of Intelligence-Led Policing (2024) · cites this paper as Caplan et al., 2021
Cites
RATCLIFFE, J. H., TANIGUCHI, T., GROFF, E. R., & WOOD, J. D. (2011) · Criminology · doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.2011.00240.x · Cited by 436 · see citing works
Hot spots policing of small geographic areas effects on crime
Braga, A. A., Turchan, B., Papachristos, A. V., & Hureau, D. M. (2019) · Campbell Systematic Reviews: Better Evidence for a Better World · doi:10.1002/cl2.1046 · Cited by 226 · cited 2× · see citing works
“…environmental features that attract crime and generate illegal behaviors is part of an approach to crime prevention that has been extensively researched (Braga et al., 2019; 2 Police Quarterly 0(0) 440 Police Quarterly 24(4) Brantingham et al., 2020; Brantingham & Brantingham, 1995; Kennedy et al.,”
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‘Led by Intelligence': A Scoping Review on the Experimental Evaluation of Intelligence-Led Policing
Khalfa, R., & Hardyns, W. (2024) · Evaluation Review · doi:10.1177/0193841x231204588 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
- Authors
- Caplan, J. M., Kennedy, L. W., Drawve, G., & Baughman, J. H.
- Affiliations
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (US)
- Kansas City Missouri Police Department (US)
- Corresponding author
- Caplan, Joel M.
- Venue
- Police Quarterly
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2021-03-17
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 438-464
- ISSN
- 1098-6111 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-745X
- OpenAlex
- W3136705899
- Cited by
- 22
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 1
- FWCI
- 4.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Police Quarterly (publishedVersion)
- Rutgers University Community Repository (Rutgers University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Policing Practices and Perceptions
- Social Sciences › Law › Criminal Justice and Penology
- Keywords
- violent crime prevention, hot spot analysis, risk terrain modeling, environmental criminology, police use of force, community policing
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