Deterring delinquents with information. Evidence from a randomized poster campaign in Bogotá.

In this article, we test whether an isolated information campaign can deter criminals by appealing to their apprehension risk perception. A randomized trial was conducted around 154 high crime housing blocks in Bogotá. With support of the Colombian Police, half of the blocks were exposed to a three month poster campaign reporting the number of "arrests around this street block" and half to a no-treatment control condition.