A bird’s eye view of crime: assessing the effectiveness of mobile watchtowers on vehicle-related thefts

Recent reports suggest that thefts of vehicles and thefts from vehicles have increased significantly over the last several years. Some police agencies have turned to mobile surveillance watchtowers to address this problem. This study examines the effectiveness of these mobile watchtowers at reducing vehicle-related thefts in Arlington, Texas. An interrupted time series analysis is used to determine whether the use of mobile watchtowers reduces the frequency of vehicle-related thefts. The watchtowers are associated with a small, but significant, decrease in vehicle-related thefts. However, this effect appears to decay over time. Mobile watchtowers may be a viable method for addressing vehicle-related thefts.