Assessing the Influence of Military Presence on Crime Rates in American Communities

• In Event: Institutions and Neighborhoods

Abstract

Nearly two million service members (U.S Census, 2011) and twenty-million U.S. living veterans (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2013), along with their families, often live, work, and socialize in local communities around military bases. The degree to which military culture, manifested by the presence of a military installation and military personnel, impacts local areas is yet to be examined from a criminological perspective. Given the high concentration of both current and former military members in certain areas, it is imperative to pay close attention to this population and their potential influence in the communities in which they reside.
In an effort to address the aforementioned gaps in the literature, the current study seeks to examine the association between military presence and crime in American communities. Specifically, the author draws on data from the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and the American Community Survey (ACS). These data sources allowed the researcher to examine, in a macro-level fashion, the influence of military presence on crime among communities in the United States. Findings of this study will further our understanding of the ways in which the military, as a formal social institution of American society, influences social dynamics in American communities.

Author

• Rocio Roles, University of Arkansas at Little Rock