When police focus on small high-crime areas-hot spots-they can reduce crime, at least in the short term. But what about interventions that alter the physical and social environment of the place and do not necessarily involve police? This chapter examines the effectiveness of these types of place interventions to reduce crime. It first defines proprietary places-the sites of the interventions. Next it shows why places are important. It then presents findings of a systematic review of place-based crime prevention evaluations. The final section explores the implications of findings: the need to tailor-make interventions and the use of what we call "own the place, own the crime" prevention.
