SPI Findings

Ninety high crime areas were randomly assigned to receive none, two, or four 15-minute supplemental CEPs a day for a three month period. Offense reports, CAD data, resident surveys, officer focus groups, and officer surveys were used to conduct process and outcome evaluations of the NI-Loc program. 

• Results indicate that the NI-Loc intervention did not affect crime, calls for service, or public perceptions of police, in treatment areas compared to controls.

An experimental intervention testing the efficacy of a police-mental health provider co-responder model for addressing mental health-related calls for service.

• There were no significant reductions in the numbers of calls for service and mental health calls between the treatment and control groups during the treatment and post-treatment periods
• However, those who completed some treatment appeared to be high-utilizers of police resources before the intervention. Those who completed some treatment show decreased patterns in general calls for service and mental health calls compared to the dropouts.

Examination of descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, and logistic regression models.

The evaluation validated the risk assessment tool as a predictive device: for every one-point increase in the assessment tool score that a dispute received, the odds of violence occurring in that dispute over time increase by 29%.

The intervention was intentioned to result in a series of staggered short-term and intermediate outcomes that would over time contribute to increase safety and collective efficacy in the community around issues of homelessness (the long-term impacts). The evaluation also conducted a process evaluation on implementation of HOT.

• There was some evidence that calls for service dropped in response to the SPI-HOT team’s work, and that calls for service did not simply increase in adjacent areas.
• The HOT initiative clearly achieved the goal of developing stronger relationships between the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office and public and non-profit organizations who work with the same homeless population.
• There was limited evidence that activities by HOT have resulted in substantial institutional and cultural change across the Sherriff’s Office and its other patrols.

Pre-post impact analysis, assessment of service provision

16% reduction in violent crime at the Central Precinct (target area).

Exploratory analyses found that providing services could reduce the likelihood of future crimes.

Interviews concluded that SIP was effective because of the multi-agency collaboration and ability to balance treatment and enforcement approaches.

A quasiexperimental design based on propensity score matching (PSM) methods in which RADAR response plan recipients would be matched with similarly-situated people in a comparison jurisdiction to compare outcomes accompanied by a process evaluation. 

• RADAR had a positive influence on Shoreline Police Department’s culture in terms of changing attitudes and responses to people with BH/DD.
• The evaluation did not find significant effects on rates of mental health-related calls for service or incidents.
• Use of force was lower after RADAR was implemented, but this was not statistically significant.

A quasi-experimental research design, examining the numbers of reported crimes within the geographic area identified as the “awareness space” of all of the prolific offenders as well examining reported crimes and calls for services within these areas. 

Implementation of the prolific offender program activities coincided with statistically significant reductions in the specific crimes targeted by the program.

• Robberies declined 3.9%, burglaries declined 20.1%, and aggravated assaults declined 16.1% in these specific geographical areas.
• Overall reports of crime decreased 1.3%, auto thefts decreased 8.5%, and thefts from autos decreased 14.1%, and total calls for police services decreased 3.1% within these awareness spaces after the project began.