Police reorganization and crime: Evidence from police station closures

Arbeitspapier

Does the administrative organization of police affect crime? In answering this question, we focus on the reorganization of local police agencies. Specifically, we study the effects police force reallocation via station closures has on local crime. We do this by exploiting a quasiexperiment where a reform substantially reduced the number of police stations. Combining a matching strategy with an event-study design, we find no effects on total theft. Police station closures, however, open up tempting opportunities for criminals in car theft and burglary in residential properties. We can rule out that our effects arise from incapacitation, crime displacement, or changes in employment of local police forces. Our results suggest that criminals are less deterred after police station closures and use the opportunity to steal more costly goods.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Arbeitspapier ; No. 07/2019

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law ; Public Facility Location Analysis; Public Investment and Capital Stock
• Subject: Crime ; Policing ; Crime Deterrence ; Police Station Closures

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Blesse, Sebastian ; Diegmann, André
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der Gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung
• (where): Wiesbaden
• (when): 2019

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/204441
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET