No Evidence of Barbeque Restrictions Reduce Crime, Says Study by Universidad de Los Andes

As of April 14, motorcycles in Bogotá will not be able to carry a barbecue or passenger from 7:00 at night until 4:00 in the morning the following day, from Friday to Saturday. This is a measure taken by the Mayor's Office that seeks to impact thefts and homicides in the city, which unleashed opposition from users of this type of vehicle and which does not have sufficient technical support.

It is not a new measure. Cali has been one of the cities that most used this type of restriction, since 1994 for periods of time, to combat urban crime, but the results vary. During the first half of 2019 he kept it a tradition, but the security secretary, Andrés Villamizar, decided to lift the restriction because the figures showed that “unfortunately criminals change their actions,” the newspaper El País quoted.

He explained that the measure was taken because the crimes reported mainly involved a barbecue man on a motorcycle. But after the first half of the restriction, and about 700 cases, criminals began to use several motorcycles with only drivers, or cars to commit theft and homicide in the city.

In 2020 and 2021 it was adopted again, already under a new administration. According to the Secretary of Security and Justice, Carlos Alberto Rojas Cruz, because the statistical reports of the Cali Security Observatory “specifically regarding homicides and thefts presented for 2020 with all their variables, show a reduction in the commission of these crimes by the passenger who used the motorcycle as a means of transport”, quoted the newspaper El Tiempo.

Although Mayor Ospina insists that it is a measure that citizens demand in that city, just as Claudia López, in Bogotá, says it is a necessary sacrifice; experts agree that there is no evidence of the impact on the commission of crimes by restricting the use of passengers on motorcycles.

The Center for Drug and Safety Studies (Cesed) of the University of Los Andes recalled an analysis by researchers Eduard Martínez, Michael Weintraub and Leonardo Bonilla, entitled Motorcycle Restrictions and Their Effects on Crime in Colombia. They analyzed the results of such restrictions on the use of motorcycles that have been part of the safety strategies in more than 25 cities in the country.

According to the analysis figures (2019), approximately 16% of thefts and 21% of homicides involved criminals mobilized on motorcycles, which is why measures were taken against such vehicles.

Among the conclusions, they pointed out that the male barbecue restriction, which was analyzed in Barranquilla, showed a reduction in the area where it was implemented, but in turn an increase in other areas of the city, so the crime was spatially displaced to avoid the restriction. However, the reduction in the affected area was equivalent to 50%.

In Neiva, where the passenger on a motorcycle was restricted for a period of the day, the commission of crimes was not impacted. In Cartagena it did not show an impact on theft, but it did show negative impact on homicides, although not statistically significant.

Likewise, they conclude that the results are not maintained over time in magnitude and significance for more than 6 months and in some cases only 3. “In general, motorcycle restrictions fail to substantially reduce crime. Of the six restrictions studied, only three have significant negative effects and even in these cases the estimated effects are not persistent over time or are not robust to different specifications,” the authors point out.

The analysis argues that in order to implement the measures, results must be analysed in other cities or in previous restrictions, as well as assessing the costs involved for people who ride motorcycles, but also for the monitoring and enforcement of the restriction on the use of the police, depending on the reduction of crime.

Even the former Secretary of Security, Hugo Acero, an expert in the sector but questioned by his results in the city, opposed López's measure. “I have not agreed with the barbeque restriction, neither as an official, nor as a citizen. I have agreed and promoted the use of the reflective vest for motorcyclists and passengers, including cyclists, is a measure that protects life and integrity,” he said.

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