Non-Residential Crime Attractors, Generators, and Repellants

• In Event: Communities and Place: Place Features and Crime

Abstract

Research finds that crime is concentrated at relatively few addresses, intersections, or street segments. While much work focuses on identifying and targeting these crime “hot spots”, relatively less research examines why crime concentrates in certain places – or conversely – why it does not concentrate in others. One line of inquiry focuses on identifying establishments that can act as crime generators or attractors, such as retail or alcohol outlets. However, research is largely reticent about the fact that certain places may also act as crime repellents. For example, penalties are often harsher for crimes committed near a school and certain establishments may hold moral significance, such as places of worship. These types of places may in fact exert protective effects on the surrounding area. Thus, our study adds to this growing body of work by exploring which types of facilities act crime attractors, generators, and repellents. To investigate this question, we draw on crime and environmental data collected in 2014-2016 for a mid-sized city in Ohio.

Authors

• Lauren Porter, University of Maryland

• Jacob Noel, University of Maryland

• Alaina De Biasi, Michigan State University

• Eric S. Jeffris, Kent State University

• Andrew Curtis, Kent State University