Seems to make a lot more sense than the "broken windows" policing philosophy, where cops hassle the crap out of everyone for minor violations:
Low-cost fixes to abandoned properties, such as a fresh coat of paint and replacing boarded entryways with doors and windows, can do more than eliminate eyesores.
They can also significantly reduce crime in the area, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine.
The study, published this week, looked at crime percentages in sections of Philadelphia where abandoned properties were rehabbed between January 2011 and April 2013, in comparison to areas where boarded-upproperties remained.
It found the simple fixes significantly decreased the amount of serious and nuisance crimes surrounding remediated buildings, including the number of gun assaults, robberies and nuisance crimes like vandalism and illegal dumping.
According to lead author Michelle Kondo, Ph.D., a former research fellow at the Perelman School of Medicine, the most significant reduction - down by 39 percent – was found for gun assaults around remediated buildings within the year following improvements.
Abandoned properties “send a signal to would-be offenders that committing crimes is acceptable and will likely go unchallenged or unseen," the report states.
This is the first study to demonstrate the direct impact of building remediation efforts on crime, the authors said.
