Busy Places and Crime: The Influence of Traffic and Activity on Crime at Commercial Properties

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

Research on the concentration of crimes across places has largely focused on how various types of places – such as bars, schools, and payday lenders – are correlated with crime. Yet mounting evidence suggests that there is considerable within-type variation in crime across places and land uses. What accounts for this variation? Wilcox and Eck have argued that “it is the traffic associated with the studied land uses, not the activities of the facilities per se, that likely lead to problems for the area” (2011, in Criminology & Public Policy 10:473-482). This study uses InfoUSA business attribute data (i.e., number of employees, sales volume, building square footage) for various business types and neighborhood indicators such as traffic activity to examine whether crime at commercial properties is related to the busyness of businesses in San Antonio, Texas.

Authors

• Marie Skubak Tillyer, University of Texas at San Antonio

• Rebecca J Walter, University of Texas at San Antonio

• Marissa E. Hinton, University of Texas at San Antonio