Arnold Ventures Supports New Research into Ways to Solve More Auto Thefts and Burglaries

Washington, D.C. (Nov. 21, 2024) – With support from Arnold Ventures (AV), George Mason University professors Dr. Cynthia Lum and Dr. Christopher Koper will conduct a rigorous evaluation of auto theft and burglary investigations. 

Specifically, Dr. Lum and Dr. Koper will partner with two police departments in Virginia and Maryland to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that will evaluate the impact of increased investigative effort on auto thefts and burglaries, two types of crimes that are often deprioritized by police departments facing high caseloads with limited resources.

The goal of the study is to determine if relatively light-touch interventions increase the rate that these high-volume crimes are solved. Even if the rate of crimes being solved does not improve from the intervention, increased effort may improve victim satisfaction with police services and boost trust and legitimacy afforded to the police by communities. The victim-centered focus of this study makes it especially important and unique.

“This study will be one of the few experimental studies on police investigations and one of the only ones that has ever been done on the widespread practice of police follow-ups to felonious property crimes,” says Dr. Lum. ​“With support from AV, we can begin to understand whether routine and low-cost efforts applied to large-volume crimes can improve clearance rates and victim satisfaction.”

“Law enforcement agencies often lack the resources to extensively investigate every automotive theft or burglary,” says Josh Jackson, criminal justice research manager at AV. ​“Dr. Lum and Dr. Koper’s study will test a proposed solution to this problem by evaluating whether a light-touch investigative conversation can increase clearance rates for burglaries and auto thefts, and whether this intervention also makes individuals view police more favorably.” 

“Too many crimes go unsolved today, which means lawbreakers escape accountability and victims do not receive justice,” says Kevin Ring, vice president of criminal justice advocacy at AV. ​“Arnold Ventures is proud to support this research to improve public safety by helping law enforcement identify practices to solve more crimes.”

###

Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and Arnold Ventures’ focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. As signatories of the Giving Pledge, the Arnolds have committed to giving away most of their wealth during their lives. 

Media Contacts
media@​arnoldventures.​org

teamavmedia@​mrss.​com