Summary
The present evaluation sought to determine whether it was possible to reduce the incidence of break and enter and motor vehicle theft in three patrols by increasing the collection of forensic evidence at crime scenes and devoting more resources to criminal investigation based on this evidence. In this initial phase of the research, police were not successful in achieving their intended outcomes. It would be a mistake, however, to treat this result as anything but a provisional finding. As the report shows, the collection, analysis and use of forensic evidence is an extremely complex process.