Addressing Gun Violence Using Place and Offender-based Strategies
Organization Name:
Community Name:
Organization or Community Type:
What was the criminal justice problem facing the community?
Description of Problem:
One of Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) 21 divisions, Newton Division, had more than 40 active gangs and experienced the third highest number of gun crimes among the city’s 21 divisions. Gun crimes were concentrated in a small number of locations; of the 1135 reporting districts in Los Angeles, about 6 percent accounted for 30 percent of the gun-related crimes in the city with a number of these districts concentrated in and around Newton Division.
What factors were contributing to the criminal justice problem?:
- Prevalence of gang activity for more than 40 years
- Chronic offenders
- Chronic crime locations
Criminal Justice Topic area:
Crime Justice Sub-Topic area:
Which evidence-based solutions were recommended for this problem?
Name of evidence-based program or practice:
Description of Evidence-Based Program or Practice:
SARA is a data-driven and analytical approach to policing that incorporates both place and offender-based strategies to address crime. Using the SARA problem-solving framework, the Los Angeles Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) team developed its intervention strategy, the Los Angeles’ Strategic Extraction and Restoration Program, known as Operation LASER. Operation LASER is grounded in situational and environmental theories of crime. The basic premise is to target, with laser-like precision, violent repeat offenders and gang members who commit crimes in the targeted areas.
How was the evidence-based solution implemented?
Response Strategy:
Determined to use a data-driven, evidence-based approach that incorporated both place and offender-based strategies to address the gun violence, the LAPD SPI team selected the SARA model to identify specific areas for intervention. Once hot spots were identified, they developed a Crime Intelligence Detail and Chronic Offender Bulletins to identify repeat offenders. Evaluation and analysis of the program was then conducted to measure its impact.
- Use a data-driven, evidence-based approach: The LAPD SPI used the SARA model, which incorporates both place and offender-based strategies to address gun violence.
- Identify specific areas for intervention: They employed a geographic analysis of data on gun-related crimes, arrests and calls for service over a six-year period (2006-2011). The location-based analysis resulted in identification of five large hot spot corridors.
- Develop an intervention strategy: The LA SPI developed Operation LASER.
- Create a Crime Intelligence Detail (CID): The CID was composed of two sworn officers and a crime analyst. CID’s mission was to gather information from all available sources to produce proactive real-time intelligence briefs.
- Develop Chronic Offender Bulletins: These bulletins identified violent repeat offenders operating in the targeted areas which placed the offenders under increased scrutiny. Patrol and special units employed traditional enhanced surveillance as well as license plate readers in repeat offender locations. The bulletins assisted officers in identifying crime trends and solving current investigations and gave officers a tool for proactive police work.
- Assess the impact: The LAPD SPI team analyzed the impact of LASER using Interrupted Time-Series Analysis.
Stakeholder Groups Involved:
No external stakeholders were involved. LASER was initiated and implemented by the LAPD.
Estimated Cost to Implement:
Approximately $250,000
Estimated Time to Implement:
Impact and Outcomes
Newton Division ended 2012 with an all-time low of 16 homicides, which was a 56% decrease in homicides compared to 2011 and 59% decrease compared to 2010. Overall violent crime dropped 19% in Newton from 2011 to 2012. Newton ranked number one in violent crime reduction in the entire LAPD area for 2012. Results suggest gun-related crime is falling nearly four times faster in Newton after LASER was implemented in September, 2011.
Interventions in Newton resulted in:
Lessons Learned
- The SARA model provides an evidence-based foundation for crime control.
- Crime analysis is the key to data-driven decision making.
- It is important to focus intervention strategies on both people and places to achieve success in crime control and prevention.
- Crime analysts play a crucial role in the 21st century police department; the closer the relationships between the crime analyst and line officers, the more likely those line officers are to engage in data-driven decision-making, ultimately leading to more effective crime prevention and control.
- Technology can improve efficiency and effectiveness.
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