New study of effect of CCTV cameras on crime in Newark, NJ, highlights value of longer-term evaluations

Place-based crime-prevention interventions have been critiqued for the short duration of reductions in crime they produce. In a new study, researchers evaluated the long-term impacts of a large public closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance project in Newark, NJ. The study found that the project was associated with reduced auto thefts three to four years after cameras were installed, effects that might not have been found if the evaluation ended after just one or two years.