Savannah, Georgia
Reducing Violent Crime by Targeting Offenders and Hot Spots
Project Overview
The Savannah SPI team used data to support decision-making within the department in an effort to reduce violent crime. A unique feature of the Savannah SPI was their “wrap-around services” approach to violent crime that was innovative, comprehensive, and included extensive police and community involvement. That approach built on community-based preventive strategies which focused on identifying potential and high-risk offenders, reaching out to offenders, and providing a central location where police, parole, and probation could work collaboratively to manage at-risk individuals and provide treatment services. Furthermore, the Savannah SPI had two main approaches for incorporating data into crime-reduction efforts: (1) targeting repeat offenders and employing supportive and investigative services, and (2) targeting violent geographic hot spots where chronic problems persisted.
Methods and Findings
Research Design
Pre-post impact analysis, assessment of service provision
Findings
- 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.
