Dr Siobhan Allen1, Mrs Melissa Airlie, Mrs Sandra Smith
1Queensland Police Service, ,
Introduction: Stationary marked police vehicles, with no police officer present, known as ‘scarecrow cars,’ have been linked with reductions in traffic offences, but little is known about their effects on crime and calls for service (Worrall, Gordon, & Zanolini Jr, 2022). This study explored the effects of a scarecrow car on reported crime and calls for service, to determine if the presence of a marked police vehicle, parked in a high-crime location in Queensland, Australia, significantly reduced dispatched calls for service and reported crime. This study also explored the impact of the scarecrow car on community perspectives of police and perceptions of safety.
Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental design. Impacts to policing demands and community satisfaction at a micro-hotspot level were measured using Queensland police administrative data and community surveys. Crime and calls for service trends were compared before, during and after the deployment of the scarecrow car, and community perspectives were obtained before and after deployment. The findings were also compared to a control site.
Results: The impact of the scarecrow has yet to be determined, as the car is still deployed. Analysis will include a comparison of an experimental site to a control site, and exploration on whether crime displacement occurred as a result of this trial.
Conclusion: The findings of this study will be used to inform future operational decision-making around the potential to use scarecrow cars as a crime prevention strategy across other sites in Queensland.
Biography:
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