  We investigate the quantum particle creation during the circularly symmetric
collapse of a 2+1 dust cloud, for the cases when the cosmological constant is
either zero or negative. We derive the Ford-Parker formula for the 2+1 case,
which can be used to compute the radiated quantum flux in the geometric optics
approximation. It is shown that no particles are created when the collapse ends
in a naked singularity, unlike the 3+1 case. When the collapse ends in a BTZ
black hole, we recover the expected Hawking radiation.
