Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/250568 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 14907
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Do reductions in arrests increase crime? We study line-of-duty deaths of police officers, events that likely impact police behavior through increased fear but are unlikely to directly impact civilian behavior. Officer deaths cause significant short-term reductions in all arrest types, with the largest reductions in arrests for lower-level offenses. In contrast, we find no evidence of an increase in crime or a change in victim reporting through 911 calls. There is also no apparent threshold of arrest decline beyond which crime increases. Our findings suggest that enforcement activity can be reduced at the margin without incurring public safety costs.
Subjects: 
policing
crime
deterrence
broken windows
Ferguson effect
community trust
JEL: 
J15
J18
K42
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.