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Policing Innovations at a Glance: Successful Violence Reduction Strategies

NCJ Number
251056
Date Published
July 2017
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This report presents descriptions and evaluation findings for nine U.S. cities that have used a variety of innovative, targeted approaches in reducing violent crime, such as murder, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
Abstract
These are sites that have participated in the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA's) Smart Policing Initiative (SPI), which guides police agencies in the development and evaluation of innovative violence-reduction programs and policies. This paper includes an outline of the features of successful violence-reduction strategies under SPI guidance. These features are 1) use of data and street intelligence to inform policing strategies, such as place-based and offender-based tactics; 2) the use of new technology to improve intelligence-gathering; 3) a strategic focus on high-risk individuals who have committed violent crimes; and 4) gauge and address community needs and perceptions. The SPI cities whose violence-reduction programs are profiled and have been evaluated are Boston, MA; Cambridge, MA; Glendale, AZ; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles, CA; New Haven, CT; Philadelphia, PA; Rochester, NY; and Savannah, GA.