Hot spots policing

Local governments can invest in this strategy using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

This strategy can help prevent violence. The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that strategies that help achieve this outcome are eligible for the use of Fiscal Recovery Funds.
Investments in this strategy are SLFRF-eligible as long as they are made in qualified census tracts or are designed to assist populations or communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

Concentrating resources to reduce crime: Hot spot policing is a place-based strategy that aims to reduce crime by concentrating police resources in a specific location with a high rate of crime.
Concentrating resources to reduce crime: Hot spot policing is a place-based strategy that aims to reduce crime by concentrating resources in specific neighborhoods experiencing high rates of violence. Typically, hot spots policing tactics can include increasing the number of police officers patrolling the area, installing lights, and adding surveillance cameras.
Identifying small geographies: The size of hot spots varies, but they may consist of individual addresses, clusters of addresses, or whole blocks or street segments. Methods of identifying hot spots similarly vary, but typically involve a combination of crime data, mapping software, and expertise from police officers and crime analysts.
Varied police responses in hot spots: The type of police responses that are concentrated in hot spots also varies. A relatively simple approach is increasing the amount of time that police officers spend in and around hot spots. More involved responses include those like problem-oriented policing, which focuses police resources on identifying and addressing the underlying factors driving crime in a hot spot.

Multiple studies with rigorous designs demonstrate that hot spots policing is a well-supported strategy for reducing crime.

Leverage data to identify hot spots: While the expertise of officers and analysts can be valuable in identifying hot spots, relying entirely on individual expertise may result in an incomplete or biased assessment of potential hot spots. To reduce this risk, law enforcement agencies should invest in personnel and software to collect, manage, and analyze data to identify potential hot spots.
Incorporate community perspectives: Hot spots policing can be particularly effective when paired with strategies like community policing, which focuses on leveraging community partnerships to improve public trust and develop solutions to reduce crime in specific areas. Common partners for police departments to engage under the community policing model include other government agencies, advocacy and community-based nonprofits, local businesses, media organizations, and more.

Address underlying factors leading to crime: Certain factors, like poverty and income inequality, are linked to criminal behavior, but beyond the scope of law enforcement agencies to address. When developing a strategy to reduce crime in a hot spot, law enforcement agencies should recruit other government agencies and nonprofit organizations to help address underlying factors driving crime (e.g., providing youth programming).
Use situational prevention strategies: Situational factors, like the large numbers of vacant or abandoned properties, are linked to increased criminal behavior. Law enforcement agencies should leverage situational prevention strategies, such as installing better street lighting, to reduce crime in hot spots.