ABSTRACT
This chapter examines, using Hong Kong policing data, how an applied microeconomics technique can be applied to identify the relative performance of organisational policing units where the presence of multiple inputs and outputs makes comparisons difficult. The technique addresses key policy requirements regarding the efficacy of crime prevention across districts with slight contextual variation. Criminologists’ clear focus on crime and the criminal justice system is underpinned by a rich theoretical tradition which has identified potential causal mechanisms for the actions of both offenders and criminal justice agents. Outputs of the police production process can be put into two broad categories – the control of crime and the maintenance of social order. Capital inputs such as vehicles, evidence-gathering equipment, detection materials and premises represent the technology and non-human resources that are available for the police to generate outputs such as detecting crime or arresting offenders.
