Fighting Pickpocketing using a Choice-based Resource Allocation Model

TL;DR

This paper introduces a choice-based resource allocation model to help policymakers strategically distribute limited resources to reduce pickpocketing, considering thieves' preferences and location attractiveness.

Contribution

It develops a novel model that optimally allocates resources based on thieves' preferences and location attractiveness, with proven proportionality properties.

Findings

Optimal budget allocation is proportional to thieves' sensitivity and location attractiveness.

Numerical experiments show the model's effectiveness compared to other allocations.

The model provides actionable insights for policy makers to combat pickpocketing.

Abstract

Inspired by European actions to fight organised crimes, we develop a choice-based resource allocation model that can help policy makers to reduce the number of pickpocket attempts. In this model, the policy maker needs to allocate a limited budget over local and central protective resources as well as over potential pickpocket locations, while keeping in mind the thieves' preferences towards potential pickpocket locations. We prove that the optimal budget allocation is proportional in (i) the thieves' sensitivity towards protective resources and (ii) the initial attractiveness of the potential pickpocket locations. By means of a numerical experiment, we illustrate how this optimal budget allocation performs against various others budget allocations, proposed by policy makers from the field.