Pullman, Washington

To combat the problem of increasing violent neighborhood assaults on College Hill, the SPI and the Pullman Police Department, in collaboration with research partners at Washington State University (WSU), proposed to launch an evidence-based safety camera project. The project facilitated the installation of a network of five safety cameras in a major crime hot spot adjacent to the WSU campus, identified by a pre-implementation evaluation performed by the WSU research partners. The goals of the Safety Camera Initiative (SCI) were to (1) deter individuals from engaging in criminal behavior in the target area; (2) enhance criminal investigations, including investigation of previously unreported crimes; and (3) provide actionable intelligence to support interventions and responses to developing situations. The project was initiated with research designed to serve as a baseline for evaluation and to provide data to inform camera placement. Results showed that cameras and the SCI project increased satisfaction with the department and had a positive impact on crime.