Hot spots policing in Las Vegas: results from a blocked randomized controlled trial in chronic violent crime locations

Objectives This randomized experiment explored the impact of hot spots policing (HSP) strategies on criminal offenses and calls for service within chronic, persistent violent crime clusters in Las Vegas, NV. Methods Forty-four street segments were randomized into treatment (N = 22) and control (N = 22) conditions across nine chronic, persistent violent crime areas. The conditions (foot patrols, stationary patrol vehicles, and business-as-usual) were active for 6 months. Results Over 90% of the hot spots experienced an average of 1.5 h or greater of patrol dosage per day. In terms of impact, the mixed effects negative binomial regression results showed that the addition of HSP had a marginally significant reduction on overall crime (- 21%), a statistically significant reduction on overall calls for service (- 25.7%), and a statistically significant reduction of 34% on violent calls for service. Conclusions Reductions in crime and calls for service occurred in settings where enhanced patrol resources were already deployed. The findings did not demonstrate any evidence of a ceiling effect for HSP to impact crime and violence, even where additional patrol resources were already higher than normal.