Explaining Dosage Diffusion During Hot Spot Patrols: An Application of Optimal Foraging Theory to Police Officer Behavior. (19th September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sorg, Evan T.; Wood, Jennifer D.; Groff, Elizabeth R.; Ratcliffe, Jerry H.
• Is Part Of: Justice quarterly. Volume 34:Number 6(2017)
• Page Start: 1044
• Page End: 1068
• Publication Date: 2017-09-19
• Subjects: dosage diffusion -- hot spots policing -- initial deterrence decay -- crackdown decay -- Philadelphia Foot Patrol Experiment; Criminal justice, Administration of -- Periodicals; Criminal justice, Administration of -- United States -- Periodicals; 340.11405
• DOI: 10.1080/07418825.2016.1244286
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0741-8825

Abstract

Abstract : Drawing from the concepts of optimal foraging theory, this paper presents and tests the assumptions of a foraging theory of police behavior during hot spots patrols. The theory explains why, over time, officers involved in hot spots policing interventions would leave the hot spots they are assigned to police and begin working within other locations. We test what factors influence the amounts of activity that officers undertake outside of their assigned hot spots and at nearby streets using data gathered as part of the Philadelphia Foot Patrol Experiment. Officers performed more activity outside of their beats as the experiment progressed. Several theoretically relevant variables predict the level of activity that officers perform outside their beats, including the size of the target area and the amounts of crime occurring within and outside of the target area. "Dosage diffusion" might be one reason why hot spot interventions have diminishing effects over time. From an optimal foraging theory perspective, hot spots requiring police officers to constrain their actions to pre-defined areas can be perceived as counter-intuitive by the officers, especially over extended periods of time. The results of this study support the suggestion that hot spots patrols should be short-term and randomly rotated across hot spots.