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This study evaluated the Dayton Foot Patrol Program (DFPP). The DFPP spanned 28 weeks. During the DFPP, patrol officers were asked to conduct foot patrol in six hot spots located in the downtown business district for at least 2 hours a day but used their discretion to determine when, which hot spot, how long, and in which ways to patrol. On average, roughly 9 hours of foot patrol were conducted each day during the DFPP. Pre–post comparison statistics and pooled time series count regression models were estimated. The DFPP was linked to reductions in total crime in initial analyses, but only disorder crime incidents were statistically significantly reduced once the outcome was disaggregated into crime-specific outcomes. A diffusion of crime control benefits to nearby areas was also observed. The study’s implications are that foot patrol can be implemented with fewer personnel resources and still produce crime reductions in downtown business districts.
Haberman et al. (Mon,) studied this question.