Abstract
The research reported here sought to determine whether there is a connection between arrests for minor offenses and subsequent reductions in serious crime, using county-level data collected from the state of California between the years 1989 and 2000. Results from a series of fixed effects regression models suggest that arrests for disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and public drunkenness can reduce certain crimes, notably felonious assault and burglary. Moreover, the results suggest that assault appears to decline immediately, whereas burglary declines with a delay.
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