This paper reports the evaluation results of a problem-oriented policing project that attempted to reduce serious crime and drug market problems in six public housing sites in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The program was a cooperative effort by Jersey City’s Public Housing Authority and Police Department to reduce serious crime (violent, drug, and property crimes in particular) at three high-rise and three low-rise housing sites. The study attempted to answer three broad research questions: (1) the effect of the problem-oriented policing program on serious crime both across and within the study sites; (2) the types of problem-solving responses that were effective; and (3) differences in the effectiveness of problem-oriented policing across different categories of crime. The article reviews past efforts to control crime in public housing; describes the Jersey City program; summarizes the evaluation data; and describes the analytic strategy. It also presents and discusses research findings as well as the theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the research. Notes, tables, figures, references