TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of low-priority laws on criminal activity
T2 - Evidence from California
AU - Ross, Amanda
AU - Walker, Anne
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Western Economic Association International.
PY - 2017/4/1
Y1 - 2017/4/1
N2 - We examine the impact of low-priority initiatives on criminal activity. Low-priority initiatives mandate that minor marijuana possession offenses be the lowest enforcement priority for police. Localities pass these laws because they believe if officers devote fewer resources toward minor marijuana crimes, more resources will be available to deter more serious crimes. Using data from California, we find that jurisdictions that adopted low-priority laws experienced a reduction in arrests for misdemeanor marijuana offenses. However, we do not find evidence of a consistent effect of enacting a low-priority initiative on the crime or clearance rate of other felonies. (JEL H1, H4, K4).
AB - We examine the impact of low-priority initiatives on criminal activity. Low-priority initiatives mandate that minor marijuana possession offenses be the lowest enforcement priority for police. Localities pass these laws because they believe if officers devote fewer resources toward minor marijuana crimes, more resources will be available to deter more serious crimes. Using data from California, we find that jurisdictions that adopted low-priority laws experienced a reduction in arrests for misdemeanor marijuana offenses. However, we do not find evidence of a consistent effect of enacting a low-priority initiative on the crime or clearance rate of other felonies. (JEL H1, H4, K4).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84966526811&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/coep.12179
DO - 10.1111/coep.12179
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84966526811
SN - 1074-3529
VL - 35
SP - 239
EP - 252
JO - Contemporary Economic Policy
JF - Contemporary Economic Policy
IS - 2
ER -
