David Weisburd Wins the Stockholm Prize in Criminology

• NCJ Number: 230418
• Journal: NIJ Journal Issue: 266 Dated: June 2010 Pages: 31-31
• Author(s): Yolanda Curtis
• Date Published: June 2010
• Length: 1 page
• Publication Series: NIJ Journal
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

After explaining the criteria for receiving the Stockholm Prize in Criminology, this article reviews the nature and significance of David Weisburd's NIJ-funded research on "hot spots" policing, for which he received the 2010 Stockholm Prize.

Abstract

The Stockholm Prize in Criminology is an international prize sponsored by the Swedish Ministry of Justice. It is awarded for "outstanding achievements in criminological research or for the application of research results by practitioners for the reduction of crime and the advancement of human rights." Weisburd's criminological research has produced evidence that the introduction of a crime-prevention strategy in a small, high-crime area ("hot spot") often creates a "diffusion of benefits" to nearby areas, so as to reduce crime rather than increasing it in the immediate area adjacent to the target area. Weisburd's research has guided police departments toward the development of crime-control strategies and the deployment of police resources based on the identification and analysis of the geographic distribution and concentration of various types of crime. Weisburd's research not only has implications for place-based policing strategies and deployments, but also for environmental design in high-crime areas, such as the placement of fences, alleys, and other environmental features that can deter criminal behavior.