Citation

Grevholm E, Holmberg S, Alm A. Policing (Oxford) 2010; 4(4): 351-363.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/police/paq037

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Studies showing positive results of police activities to reduce youth violence in public places are something of a rarity. This article presents an evaluation of a police method--the K-model--whose objective is to decrease levels of youth violence by reducing youths' access to alcohol. Six of the 21 county police authorities in Sweden volunteered to test the model in eight police districts, working on the basis of a protocol detailing the measures to be implemented. Their implementation of the model was evaluated on the basis of extensive data collection, which shows that the police made substantial efforts but that the degree to which the model was implemented varied in essential respects between the districts included in the trial. The effects of the police efforts were evaluated on the basis of data on reported incidents of youth violence in the test areas and reported violent crime in surrounding comparison areas. The analysis indicates that positive effects on youth violence were produced in several of the districts that conducted the greatest amount of work in line with the model guidelines but that no such effects were noted in districts where the model was only implemented to a limited extent. The article recommends that the Swedish police extend the use of the method to additional locations and that more evaluations are conducted to provide a basis for further improving the K-model.

Language: en