The federal government's COPS program has proved to reduce violent crime.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Not yet proven
• D. It has increased violent crime

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is whether a police program can demonstrably lower violent crime. To say it has “proved” to reduce violence requires solid, causal evidence that crime dropped specifically because of the program, across multiple places and over time. For the COPS program, the available rigorous evaluations have produced mixed results and do not show a clear, consistent, nationwide reduction in violent crime attributable to the program. Some jurisdictions saw changes in crime levels, but those shifts can be explained by a range of other factors, such as broader economic trends or different policing strategies that were underway independently of COPS. Because there isn’t robust, generalizable proof that the program directly causes a drop in violent crime, the statement overstates the evidence. The responsible conclusion is that the program has not been proven to reduce violent crime.