Port St. Lucie, Florida
Reducing Gun Violence through Offender-Focused Strategies
Site LE Agency
Port St. Lucie Police Department
Site Researcher
Rachel Boba Santos, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic University, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Site Focus
Repeat Offenders, Organizational Change
SPI Strategy
Institutionalization of offender-based and evidence-based policing
Site Cohort
2012
Site Profile
Mid-sized rural area of 113.95 sq. miles with a population of 164,716
Project Overview
The goal of the Port St. Lucie SPI was to expand and institutionalize the police department’s current Stratified Model of problem-solving, analysis, and accountability by implementing offender-based responses in residential burglary and residential theft from vehicle hot spots. This SPI project included dedication of a crime analyst and a detective focused on repeat offenders, to ensure that the program was effectively implemented and institutionalized. Evaluation of the effectiveness of offender-based strategies was conducted through a randomized control trial.
Methods and Findings
- Detectives were involved in 1,143 responses with 151 offenders, an average of 7.57 responses per offender.
- Although not statistically significant, there was a 22 percent reduction in residential burglary and residential theft from vehicle hot spots.
- There was a 46 percent decrease in arrests of offenders who were contacted and living in control hot spots.
- Offenders and their families reported improved behavior and family relationships as a result of the respectful and helpful tone of the program.
