Allocating police stations: more police, less (low impact) crime

Abstract

Public policies to prevent and reduce crime often emphasize the need for increased police presence in strategic locations to lower crime through their deterrent effects and ability to incapacitate offenders. This study examines the association between police module allocation and the concentration of low-impact crime. To achieve this, a two-part empirical strategy is employed to assess the effects of the territorial distribution of police modules in Mexico City. The findings show a negative association between the territorial distribution of police modules and the concentration of low-impact crime, consistent with deterrence theory and informing policy design that strategically locates police infrastructure.