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Crime Prevention Programs: Evidence for a Developing Country

Author

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  • Rodrigo Vergara.

    (Instituto de Economía. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the impact of two anti-crime programs implemented in Chile in the late 1990s. The first (Quadrant Plan) is related to enhancing the quality of police work and the second one (Secure County Plan) to the involvement of the community in designing specific projects aimed at reducing the crime rate. It is found that only the Quadrant Plan has been successful in terms of reducing crime rates and has caused its impact through the effect of arrests in deterring crime. The Secure County program does not appear to have any impact on crime rates. It is also found that crime is associated with unemployment and that there is persistence in crime rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Rodrigo Vergara., 2009. "Crime Prevention Programs: Evidence for a Developing Country," Documentos de Trabajo 362, Instituto de Economia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile..
    • Handle: RePEc:ioe:doctra:362
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    File URL: https://www.economia.uc.cl/docs/doctra/dt-362.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Cortez, Willy W., 2016. "Histéresis y Asimetría en Delitos: un análisis de los robos a nivel colonias en la ZMG [Hysteresis and Asymmetry in Crime: an analysis of robbery in Guadalajara´s neighborhoods]," MPRA Paper 80261, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised May 2017.
    2. José Miguel Benavente & Dante Contreras & Emerson Melo & Emerson Melo, 2010. "Anti-Crime Programs: An Evaluation (and recognition) of the Plan Comuna Segura," Working Papers 1, Facultad de Economía y Empresa, Universidad Diego Portales.
    3. repec:rnp:ppaper:krrpc1 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Jose Miguel Benavente & Dante Contreras & Rodrigo Montero, 2011. "Anti-Crime Programs: An Evaluation of the Comuna Segura Program," Estudios de Economia, University of Chile, Department of Economics, vol. 38(2 Year 20), pages 369-392, December.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • K14 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Criminal Law
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy

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