Boston Police bring back walking beat in one part of Dorchester

It certainly fits with my model of what kinds of policing work and don't work. Having cops out there interacting with people more directly can help (re)build trust and engagement, as it facilitates recognition and therefore relationships. Cops on foot are clearly more likely to spot something unpleasant going down/about to go down than a cop rolling down the street in a box; they're closer to the actual people, more aware of their surroundings, moving more slowly, and can hear what's going on. The sight of a cop is a better deterrent than a vague calculus of chances of getting caught × severity of punishment.

At a glance I found https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/foot-patrol but I haven't looked through it to see if it's a good study or not.

In my experience it is very hard to find a street corner dealer in illicit goods in areas where walking beats take place. Just saying.