The impact of COVID-19 on police officer activities

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the impact of COVID-19 on police reactive and proactive activities in Houston, Texas. Seven types of police officer reactivity and three distinct categories of proactivity were examined. METHODS: Weekly calls for service data from January 1, 2018-December 31, 2020 were analyzed through interrupted time series using ARIMA models. RESULTS: Police responses to property, traffic-related activities, and service-related calls all decreased when compared to previous years. A significant increase was observed for violent crime calls. Self-initiated activities performed by specialized crime units significantly decreased, but there was a significant increase in self-initiated patrol. Activities performed by a specialized response unit initially increased, but then went back to pre-pandemic levels following the death of George Floyd. CONCLUSIONS: Observed decreases in reactivity may be attributed to changes in citizens' routine activities. COVID-19 was associated with increased demands for police responses to violence, consistent with extant research. A unique contribution of this study was the incorporation of officer proactivity. Changes to proactive patrol could also be attributed to changes in the routine activities of citizens. This study adds to the growing body of literature examining the impact of COVID-19 on police services.