Work

The Effect of Police on Crime: New Evidence from U.S. Cities, 1960-2010

Year: 2013

Type: report

Abstract: We argue that the key impediment to accurate measurement of the effect of police on crime is not necessarily simultaneity bias, but bias due to mismeasurement of police.Using a new panel data set on crime in medium to large U.S. cities over 1960-2010, we obtain measurement error corrected estimates of the police elasticity of the cost-weighted sum of crimes of roughly -0.5.The estimates confirm a controversial finding from the previous literature that police reduce violent crime more so than property crime.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research

DOI: 10.3386/w18815

Authors: Aaron Chalfin, Justin McCrary

Institutions: National Bureau of Economic Research, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley

Language: English

Topic: Policing Practices and Perceptions

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W1490902761

Cites: 75

Cited by: 65

Related to: 10