Chronic Violent Crime Places and Criminal Opportunities in Newark, New Jersey

• In Event: Examining Newark, New Jersey: Street Drug Markets, Violent Crime Places, and Police Interactions

Abstract

Most criminological research on the uneven distribution of crime across cities tends to examine social disorganization or crime opportunity concepts in identifying risk factors associated with crime concentrations (Sherman et al. 1989). A recent longitudinal study conducted by Weisburd et al. (2012) in Seattle, Washington examined why certain street segments experienced disproportionate amounts of crime. They analyzed existing data on situational and social disorganization variables and found support for both as salient factors explaining persistent crime places. Braga and Clarke (2014), however, suggest some of the variables used by Weisburd and his colleagues were flawed. The current research aimed to develop more valid and reliable social disorganization, opportunity and collective efficacy measures at street segments in Newark, NJ. Trajectory analysis was used to determine persistently violent street segments from 2008-2013. The main analysis featured a matched case control design that compared a range of situational, collective efficacy, and other factors at the most violent street segments relative to the least violent street segments. While many of the situational factors were found to be significant, none of the collective efficacy measures approached significance. The potential reasons for this as well as policy implications based on the findings will be discussed.

Author

• Leigh Grossman, Rutgers University