Involuntary sweeps of homeless encampments do not improve public safety, study finds

A new study, out today in the Journal of Urban Health, finds that involuntary sweeps of homeless encampments in Denver were not effective in reducing crime. Researchers, led by first author Pranav Padmanabhan, research assistant and MPH student at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, analyzed the effect of involuntary displacement on crime in one-quarter to three-quarters of a mile radius around sweep sites, among all sweeps between November 2019 to July 2023. Results show no change in most crimes, and negligible changes in others.