Three Tiers for Evidence-Based Policing

doi:10.1017/9781108885737.003

2 - Three Tiers for Evidence-Based Policing

Targeting “Minimalist” Policing with a Risk-Adjusted Disparity Index

from Part I - Taking Stock of Evidence-Based Policing

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 June 2023

Edited by

Gali Perry and

David Weisburd: Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem and George Mason University, Virginia
Tal Jonathan-Zamir: Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Gali Perry: Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Badi Hasisi: Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem

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Summary

As the COVID19 Pandemic disrupted the world in 2020, it produced a new strategy of using geographic “Tiers” in public health, especially in the UK: the idea that the intrusiveness of prevention policies should be proportionate to the geographically varying risk of harm from the virus, with greater intrusiveness targeted selectively on only the highest-risk locations in order to cause minimal disruption. A Tiered policing system to prevent serious violence could apply the same principles, especially with proactive strategies such as stop and search. While such strategies can be effective when targeted on very violent hot spots, they can also minimize collateral damage if they are largely restricted to hot spots. This chapter shows how police legitimacy in democracies could be enhanced by confining most highly-intrusive policing, such as stop and search, to “highest-tier” areas for serious violent victimizations, possibly limited to 5% of all places in a city. Equality of intrusive protection across racial groups within the most violent Tier could be tracked and regulated by a Risk-Adjusted Disparity (RAD) Index. In lower tier areas, reducing proactive policing could reduce friction between police and community, and provide the greatest benefit yet offered by evidence-based policing.

Keywords

Tiered Policing RAD Index Stop & Search Homicide Victimisation De-Funding Police Proportional Policing Coupling of Intrusion to Risk

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Type: Chapter
Information: The Future of Evidence-Based Policing , pp. 19 - 43
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108885737.003 [Opens in a new window]
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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