Crime Prevention
Knowing what to do starts with knowing what works, and what hasn't. CrimeSolutions helps practitioners and policymakers understand what programs & practices work, are promising, or haven't worked yet.
On this page you can find programs and practices related to Crime Prevention. Select "Search Filters" to narrow down the list by rating, extent of evidence, and many other aspects of the programs or practices. Skip to Practices
CrimeSolutions’ ratings are assigned from standardized reviews of rigorous evaluations and meta-analyses. While we encourage you to learn more about this process, you don’t need to in order to benefit from it. Our clear ratings and profiles can help you determine if a program or category of program is worth pursuing.
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Effective | Implementing the program is likely to result in the intended outcome(s). | On average, there is strong evidence that implementing a program encompassed by the practice will achieve the intended outcome. |
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Promising | Implementing the program may result in the intended outcome(s) | On average, there is some evidence that implementing a program encompassed by the practice will achieve the intended outcome. |
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Ineffective | Implementing the program is unlikely to result in the intended outcome(s) and may result in a negative outcome(s). | On average, there is strong evidence that implementing a program encompassed by the practice will not achieve the intended outcome or may result in a negative outcome. |
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Negative Effects | Implementing the program is likley to result in a negative outcome(s). | On average, there is strong evidence that implementing a program encompassed by the practice will result in a negative outcome. |
Programs
| Title | Evidence Rating | Topics | Summary | RCT | ||
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| Program Profile: Denver (Colorado) Crime Gun Intelligence Center |
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Violent crime, Assault, Gun violence, Homicide, Robbery, Law enforcement, Arrests, Databases, Evidence, Policing strategies, Crime prevention, Prosecution, Courts, Law enforcement operations, Investigations | The program focuses on reducing violent gun crime by disrupting the cycle of gun violence by relying on forensic science and data analysis to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals who use guns in criminal activity, and the sources of their guns. The program is rated Promising. The program did not significantly affect homicides or aggravated assaults with a firearm but was shown to significantly reduce violent crime and robbery with a firearm. Date Posted: |
None | ||
| Program Profile: Risk-Based Policing Initiative (Kansas City, Missouri) |
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Situational crime prevention, Violent crime, Community policing, Policing strategies, Law enforcement | This program was a place-based crime policing initiative implemented for 1 year to reduce violent crime. Risk-based policing initiatives promote data-informed decisions based on a process of defining the problem, gathering information, and analyzing data. The program is rated Promising. The program resulted in a statistically significant reduction of 22.6 percent in violent crimes in the intervention areas, compared with the comparison areas. Date Posted: |
None | ||
| Program Profile: The Impact of Mobile Technology Devices on Street Checks and Crime Incidents (Australia) |
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Law enforcement, Computers, Internet, Databases, Policing strategies, Patrol, Crime prevention, Intimate partner violence, Violent crime | The mobile device and software for this program were developed to enable frontline police officers to access police database records and upload timely and accurate information while out in the field. This program is rated Promising. The program led to statistically significantly increases in the total number of recorded street checks, the total number of recorded driving offenses, and the number of drug offenses (possession and use) recorded per month by police officers. Date Posted: |
Randomized Controlled Trial | ||
| Program Profile: Police Body-Worn Cameras (Boston, Massachusetts) |
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Arrests, Sensors/Surveillance, Use of force, Law enforcement, Crime prevention, Situational crime prevention, Law enforcement operations, Arrests | This involves police officers wearing cameras on their uniforms to improve the civility of their interactions with citizens. The program is rated Effective. There were statistically significant reductions in citizen complaints against police and police use-of-force reports for officers who wore cameras, compared with those who did not, and statistically significant reductions in complaints against control officers in the treatment districts, compared with officers in the untreated districts. Date Posted: |
Randomized Controlled Trial | ||
| Program Profile: Imprisonment for Individuals Who Committed a Drunk Driving Offense (New South Wales, Australia) |
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Alcohol-Related Offenses, Alcohol, Prisons, Corrections, Recidivism, Crime prevention, Courts, Traffic laws, Traffic law enforcement, Law enforcement, Substance abuse, Legal substances, Drugs, No Effects Evidence Rating | This involves prison time for individuals who have committed drunk-driving offenses to reduce their risk of recidivism upon their release. The program is rated Ineffective. There was no statistically significant difference between individuals in the treatment group (who received prison time) and the comparison group (who received a suspended imprisonment sentence) on reoffending with a driving-while-under-the-influence-of-alcohol offense within 6 months’, 24 months’, or 5 years’ time. Date Posted: |
None | ||
| Program Profile: Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority Vocational Support and Supervision Program (Israel) |
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Parole, Mental health, Corrections, Reentry, Community corrections, Recidivism, Crime prevention, Employment initiatives, Inmate assistance programs, Rape and sexual assault, Effective Evidence Rating | This program provides community supervision and services to individuals released early from prison to help them find employment and reduce their recidivism. The program is rated Effective. Program participants were less likely to be reincarcerated and had higher rates of integration into the workforce, compared with individuals who did not participate in the program. These differences were statistically significant. Date Posted: |
None | ||
| Program Profile: New Orientation for Reducing Threats to Health from Secretive-problems That Affect Readiness (NORTH STAR) |
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Alcohol, Prescription drugs, Treatment, Military personnel, Crime prevention, Substance abuse, Drugs, Drug treatment | This is a prevention planning and implementation system designed to improve risk and protective factors, and reduce secretive problems, in military communities. The program is rated Ineffective. There were no statistically significant differences between the bases assigned to NORTH STAR and the comparison bases on measures of physical or emotional interpersonal violence/partner abuse, physical or emotional child abuse, hazardous drinking, suicidality, or prescription drug misuse. Date Posted: |
Randomized Controlled Trial | ||
| Program Profile: Bringing in the Bystander High School Curriculum |
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Stalking, Violent crime, Assault, Dating violence, School climate, Rape and sexual assault, Crime prevention, Juvenile (under 18), Intimate partner violence, Victims of crime | The goal of this bystander-focused, classroom-delivered curriculum is to reduce rates of interpersonal violence among high school students. The program is rated Ineffective. The program had no statistically significant impact on various measures of interpersonal violence, victim empathy, and measures of proactive bystander behavior. There was a statistically significant decrease for the treatment group in bystander denial about the role students could play in preventing interpersonal violence. Date Posted: |
Randomized Controlled Trial | ||
| Program Profile: Explore, Question, Understand, Investigate and Practice, Plan, Succeed (EQUIPS) Domestic Abuse Program (New South Wales, Australia) |
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Crime prevention, Investigations | This program targets behavior changes in men who have committed a domestic violence offense, to reduce their risk of reoffending. The program is rated Promising. Men in the treatment group had statistically significant reductions in their rate of reconvictions and time to both their first violent and general reconvictions, compared with men in the control group. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in general or domestic violence reoffending within 12 months. Date Posted: |
None | ||
| Program Profile: Operation Rowan (United Kingdom) |
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Arson, Burglary, Assault, Robbery, Sensors/Surveillance, Patrol, Law enforcement, Sanctions, Problem-oriented policing, Policing strategies, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement, Crime prevention, Victims of crime | This program involves 15 minutes of police patrol in high-crime hot spots to reduce crime. The program is rated Promising. There were statistically significant reductions in reports of violent crimes and robbery and other crimes against personal victims in hot spots on treatment days, compared with control days. Date Posted: |
Randomized Controlled Trial |
Practices
| Title | Evidence Rating | Topics | Summary | ||||||||||||
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| Practice Profile: Police-Initiated Pedestrian Stops to Reduce Crime |
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Policing strategies, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Use of force, Law enforcement, Crime prevention, Law enforcement operations, Investigations, Mental health | Police-initiated pedestrian stops involve police officers’ stopping, questioning, and investigating pedestrians on the street, usually based on suspicion of criminal behavior or activity. Generally, the goal of the stops is to prevent or reduce the occurrence of crime and disorder. The practice is rated Promising for reducing measures of crime and displacement but was rated Ineffective for improving measures of mental and physical health of citizens who were stopped by police. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Early Developmental Prevention Programs for At-Risk Youths |
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Home visiting, Alternative schools, Juvenile delinquency, Crime prevention, Child health and welfare, Juvenile (under 18) | This practice consists of early developmental programs that focus on enhancing child, parent–child, or family well-being to prevent social deviance and criminal justice involvement among at-risk children under age 5. The practice is rated Effective for reducing deviance and criminal justice involvement in youths who participated in early developmental prevention programs, compared with youths in the control group who did not participate. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Body-Worn Cameras’ Effects on Police Officer Behavior |
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Assault, Sensors/Surveillance, Patrol, Problem-oriented policing, Law enforcement operations, Arrests, Violent crime, Crime prevention, Equipment and technology | This practice involves the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement. The aim of this practice is to record interactions from an officer’s point of view to improve accountability and positively affect police officer behavior. The practice is rated Ineffective for its effects on officer use of force, officer injuries, officer-initiated calls for service, traffic stops, field interviews, and arrest incidents. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Red-Light Camera Interventions for Reducing Traffic Violations and Crashes |
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Sensors/Surveillance, Vehicles, Property crime, Crime prevention, Traffic laws, Traffic law enforcement, Law enforcement operations, Law enforcement, Equipment and technology | Red-light cameras are a traffic enforcement mechanism that permit police to remotely enforce traffic signals, to deter red-light running at signalized intersections. Red-light cameras are a fully automated photo detection system that includes cameras, sensors or triggers, and a computer. The practice is rated Promising for reducing total injury crashes. The practice is rated Ineffective for reducing total crashes, total property-damage-only crashes, or total red-light-running crashes. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Interactive Programs for Preventing Marijuana Use in Middle School Students |
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Schools, Marijuana, Substance abuse, Crime prevention, Juvenile (under 18), Child health and welfare, Drugs | This practice consists of skill-building and interaction-based activities integrated into school-based programs for grades 6–8 that are aimed at preventing marijuana use among adolescents ages 12–14. This practice is rated Effective for preventing marijuana use. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Skill-Building Interventions for Delinquent Behaviors of Youth |
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Probation, Reentry, Treatment, Recidivism, Crime prevention, Juvenile delinquency, Juvenile justice, Juvenile (under 18), Young adults (18-24), Juvenile detention | This practice involves the use of skill-building interventions to prevent antisocial and delinquent behaviors in youth (ages 12 to 21) and to reduce juvenile recidivism. Skill-building interventions tend to be behavioral in approach or focus on instruction aimed at developing specific skills. The practice is rated Promising in reducing juvenile recidivism. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Cognitive–Behavioral Interventions for Justice-Involved Juveniles and Young Adults Adjudicated for an Offense in Europe |
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Parole, Probation, Mental health, Reentry, Treatment, Crime prevention, Juvenile delinquency, Juvenile detention, Juvenile (under 18), Adjudication | This practice involves the use of cognitive–behavioral interventions to reduce the reoffending of juveniles and young adults adjudicated for an offense in Europe. Cognitive–behavioral interventions include various similar therapies, including thinking skills programs, social skills and problem-solving approaches, and reinforcement of behavioral change. This practice is rated Promising for the reduction of reoffending. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Juvenile Intensive Supervision Programs |
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Probation, Recidivism, Crime prevention, Juvenile delinquency, Juvenile justice, Juvenile detention | This practice consists of intensive supervision of juveniles on probation in the community, compared with those on traditional community supervision. Conditions of intensive supervision programs may vary, but they generally include increased face-to-face contact with probation officers, drug/urinalysis testing, and participation in programming (such as tutoring, counseling, or job training). The practice is rated Ineffective for reducing recidivism. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Teen Court |
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Juvenile courts, Diversion, Youth/peer courts, Teen courts, Problem-solving courts, Recidivism, Crime prevention, Juvenile delinquency | This is a specialized diversion intervention that offers an alternative to traditional court processing for first-time, nonviolent juveniles. The goal is to hold juveniles accountable for their behavior, repair the harm caused to the community by their offenses, and reduce juvenile recidivism. The practice is rated Ineffective for reducing juvenile recidivism. Date Posted: |
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| Practice Profile: Psychotherapy with Adults Sexually Abused in Childhood |
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Children exposed to violence, Coping, Rape and sexual assault, Violent crime, Crime prevention, Mental health | This practice comprises therapeutic approaches for adults who were sexually abused in childhood, and is designed to improve psychological distress, reduce maladaptive behavior, or enhance adaptive behavior through counseling, structured or unstructured interaction, or a predetermined treatment plan. The practice is rated Promising for decreasing posttraumatic stress disorder, trauma, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Date Posted: |
