What Happens When the Police Stop Policing?

Following the murder of George Floyd, protests broke out in Seattle, WA, around the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) East Precinct. On June 8, 2020, the SPD abandoned the precinct in an attempt to alleviate tensions with protesters. An encampment was set up and the area remained a police-free zone until July 1, 2020. The situation in Seattle provided an opportunity for a natural experiment to examine the impact of reduced policing on crime and violence. In the immediate encampment area, crime was found to be 132.9% higher than a comparable ‘control’ area that was not experiencing reduced policing during the occupation period. Adequate funding for community organizations is important for crime and violence prevention, but effective policing is critical too. Eliminating police services leads to an increase in crime, which can harm public safety. Policy makers need to simultaneously support the evidence-based crime prevention work of both police and community organizations.