This paper investigates how a system of local law enforecement agencies operates within a metropolitan area. In a cross section of 236 US MSA, the paper finds that greater agency fragmentation leads to less law enforcement effort, but also to less crime. This seemingly contradictory result is...

This paper investigates how local law enforcement agencies operate within a metropolitan area when there is an elastic flow of criminal activity between them. A model is developed in which a unilateral increase in local law enforcement effort has the effect of "scaring" away criminals as well as...