The R Street Institute announced on Mar. 9 the launch of a seven-part series that will examine major policing strategies in the United States, focusing on their effectiveness, shortcomings, and priorities for policymakers and practitioners.
This initiative comes at a time when law enforcement agencies face challenges such as declining crime clearance rates, staffing shortages, and fluctuating public confidence. The series aims to provide an evidence-driven analysis of approaches like evidence-based policing, hot spots policing, precision policing, intelligence-led policing, problem-oriented policing, community-oriented policing, and predictive policing.
According to the announcement, clearance rates for serious crimes have dropped significantly over recent decades. For example, the national homicide clearance rate has fallen from over 90 percent in the mid-1960s to about 61 percent in 2024. Other violent crimes show even lower resolution rates. Staffing issues are also highlighted: seventy percent of agencies report more difficulty hiring than five years ago and many departments operate below authorized strength. Public trust remains fragile as well; confidence in police rebounded slightly in 2024 but soon declined again amid partisan shifts.
The R Street Institute said that these pressures expose limits on what law enforcement can achieve with current resources and support. The organization emphasized that any evaluation of police strategies must consider operational realities such as personnel shortages and community engagement challenges. “Strategy without capacity is just theory,” the statement said.
The series will assess each strategy using criteria including credible evidence of effectiveness, measurable outcomes in crime reduction and community satisfaction, operational feasibility given staffing constraints, respect for constitutional boundaries, and responsible use of taxpayer funds backed by data transparency.
Future installments will address each approach individually before offering recommendations on how they might be integrated for greater impact.
