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The Short- and Long-Run Effects of Private Law Enforcement: Evidence from University Police

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Heaton
  • Priscillia Hunt
  • John MacDonald
  • Jessica Saunders

Abstract

Over a million people in the United States are employed in private security and law enforcement, yet very little is known about the effects of private police on crime. The current study examines the relationship between a privately funded university police force and crime in a large US city. Following an expansion of the jurisdictional boundary of the private police force, we see no short-term change in crime. However, using a geographic regression discontinuity approach, we find large impacts of private police on public safety, with violent crime in particular decreasing. These contradictory results appear to be a consequence of a delayed effect of private police on crime.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Heaton & Priscillia Hunt & John MacDonald & Jessica Saunders, 2016. "The Short- and Long-Run Effects of Private Law Enforcement: Evidence from University Police," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 59(4), pages 889-912.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlawec:doi:10.1086/690732
    DOI: 10.1086/690732
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    Cited by:

    1. Kim, Eon & Bowers, Kate & Birks, Dan & Johnson, Shane D., 2024. "Size isn't everything: Understanding the relationship between police workforce and crime problems," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    2. Anna Bindler & Randi Hjalmarsson, 2021. "The Impact of the First Professional Police Forces on Crime [State Capacity and Economic Development: A Network Approach]," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 19(6), pages 3063-3103.
    3. McMillen, Daniel & Sarmiento-Barbieri, Ignacio & Singh, Ruchi, 2019. "Do more eyes on the street reduce Crime? Evidence from Chicago's safe passage program," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 1-25.
    4. Blanes i Vidal, Jordi & Mastrobuoni, Giovanni, 2018. "Police Patrols and Crime," IZA Discussion Papers 11393, IZA Network @ LISER.
    5. Jesse Matheson & Brendon McConnell & James Rockey & Argyris Sakalis, 2023. "Do Remote Workers Deter Neighborhood Crime? Evidence from the Rise of Working from Home," Working Papers 2023020, The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics.
    6. François Bonnet, 2025. "Less Eligibility, Welfare, and Punishment: The Econometric Evidence," Post-Print halshs-05165960, HAL.
    7. Blesse, Sebastian & Diegmann, André, 2019. "Police reorganization and crime: Evidence from police station closures," ZEW Discussion Papers 18-044, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, revised 2019.
    8. Gerald Mutonyi & Ann Merecia Sirera & Wangari Mwai, 2020. "Examining Commercialized Security Industry's Services on National Security in Nairobi County, Kenya," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 8(1), pages 710-736, June.
    9. Blanes i Vidal, Jordi & Mastrobuoni, Giovanni, 2017. "Police Patrols and Crime," CEPR Discussion Papers 12266, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Natalia Vasilenok, 2018. "What Drives the Private Provision of Security: Evidence from Russian Regions," HSE Working papers WP BRP 197/EC/2018, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    11. Cheng, Cheng & Long, Wei, 2018. "Improving police services: Evidence from the French Quarter Task Force," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1-18.
    12. Federico Masera, 2022. "The economics of policing and crimeThe economics of policing and crime," Chapters, in: Paolo Buonanno & Paolo Vanin & Juan Vargas (ed.), A Modern Guide to the Economics of Crime, chapter 2, pages 12-29, Edward Elgar Publishing.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods

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