The Las Vegas SPI examined the effectiveness of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s (LVMPD’s) Saturation Teams. The evaluation used an experimental design through which hot spots of crime and disorder within LVMPD’s jurisdiction were identified and randomly assigned to receive the Saturation Team’s intervention for 60 days. Over the course of the project, the Saturation Team conducted directed patrol and other proactive activities in LVMPD hot spots. Some analysis suggested that calls for service increased in experimental areas, but it is unclear whether this resulted from differences in actual criminal activity or from the influence of police presence on citizens’ willingness to call the police. Surveys indicated that citizens in both the experimental and control areas generally had high opinions of LVMPD, with over 75 percent in both groups “agreeing” or “strongly agreeing” that they respected LVMPD and were supportive of the department.
