A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Hot Spots Policing Initiative in Suburban and Rural Areas

This paper overviews the Hamilton County (OH) Sheriff's Office (HCSO) Smart Policing Initiative (SPI). The HCSO SPI was designed to address repeat call for service (CFS) hot spots using a holistic strategy. A matched pair randomized controlled trial evaluation of 13 treatment hot spots and 13 control hot spots was performed. Directed patrols documented via CAD, line-level supervisors' implementation reports, and interviews with 5 key informants suggested implementation fidelity varied across sites. For implementation Year 1, crime-related CFS were down about 23% (991 to 759) in the 13 treatment hot spots compared the year before implementation started relative to a 16% (740 to 619) reduction in the 13 control hot spots. For implementation Year 2, crime-related CFS were down by about 28% (991 to 710) in the 13 treatment hot spots compared the year before implementation started relative to about a 17% (740 to 616) reduction in the 13 control hot spots. Paired samples t-tests suggest only the Year 2 change was statistically significant at the p < 0.10 level. The hot spots with the greatest and most consistent reductions in calls for service were those with the most treatment fidelity. The results are discussed in context of the hot spots policing literature as well as practitioner insights on organizational change and lessons learned for agencies with similar operational contexts seeking implement hot spots policing initiatives in the future.