The Kansas City Gun Experiment is an example of which type of policing strategy?

The Kansas City Gun Experiment is categorized as directed patrol primarily because it focused on deploying police resources specifically to high-crime areas where gun-related violence was prevalent. This initiative involved the strategic allocation of officers to carry out concentrated patrols aimed at reducing gun-related crimes.

In directed patrol, law enforcement agencies identify specific problems, such as gun violence, and actively intervene by increasing police presence in particular neighborhoods. The goal of this experiment was to assess whether a heightened police presence would effectively deter criminals and reduce gun crimes. The results showcased that directed patrols could indeed have a significant impact on reducing firearm offenses in the areas targeted.

In contrast, problem-oriented policing typically involves identifying and addressing specific problems within a community in a more holistic manner, which was not the sole focus of the Kansas City Gun Experiment. Community policing emphasizes building relationships and partnerships between the police and community members, fostering cooperation and collaboration, which diverges from the focused approach of directed patrols. Reactive patrolling refers to responding to incidents after they occur rather than anticipating and preventing issues proactively, unlike the preemptive strategy utilized in the Kansas City Gun Experiment.