The Deterrent Effect of Surveillance Cameras on Crime

Abstract

From the U.S. to Colombia to China, millions of public surveillance cameras are at the core of crime prevention strategies. Yet, we know little about the effects of surveillance cameras on criminal behavior, especially in developing economies. We study an installation program in Medellín and find that the quasi‐random allocation of cameras led to a decrease in crimes and arrests. With no increase in the monitoring capacity and no chance to use camera footage in prosecution, these results suggest offenders were deterred rather than incapacitated. We test for spillovers and find no evidence of crime displacement or diffusion of benefits to surrounding locations.

Production and persistence of criminal skills: Evidence from a high-crime context

“…A systematic review by Braga et al (2019) includes several studies documenting crime hot spots within cities and studying interventions to address them. Blattman et al (2021), Collazos et al (2020 and Gómez et al (2021) for instance, study crime hot spots in Colombian cities. Our study documents how the location of prisons can shape the patterns of criminal activity within cities.…”

Production and persistence of criminal skills: Evidence from a high-crime context

“…A systematic review by Braga et al (2019) includes several studies documenting crime hot spots within cities and studying interventions to address them. Blattman et al (2021), Collazos et al (2020 and Gómez et al (2021) for instance, study crime hot spots in Colombian cities. Our study documents how the location of prisons can shape the patterns of criminal activity within cities.…”

Incidencia multidimensional de la oferta criminal de Colombia desde un enfoque de ecuaciones simultáneas

“…Para corroborar lo anterior, en esta investigación se utiliza el método cuantitativo de ecuaciones simultáneas, mediante la estimación de Máxima Verosimilitud con Información Completa (MVIC). En ella se plantea un modelo matemático de la oferta criminal que se fundamenta en la literatura consultada y la información disponible, en donde fueron valiosos los aportes de Becker (1968), Núñez et al (2003), Rodríguez (2003), Bandrés y Díez-Ticio ( 2001); Gómez et al (2020), y Martínez (2001). A partir de esto, se construye un sistema de ecuaciones producto de la unión de la oferta del crimen, la eficiencia y dotación policial.…”