The Impact of Business Locations on Crime and Disorder

• In Event: Land Use, Crime, and Place Management

Abstract

A large body of research has measured the criminogenic effect of business locations. However, this research suffers from some important limitations. Research has largely considered businesses as a binary measure of presence or absence, overlooking important factors such as foot and customer traffic. This field of research has further not accurately controlled for police presence around businesses, making results susceptible to potentially confounding factors. Furthermore, research has predominately focused on a narrow range of crime types, with disorder-related offenses that are common around many businesses excluded. The present study seeks to build upon this literature by analyzing the impact of various business types on crime levels in Manchester, NH. The study measures crime, calls-for-service, automated patrol vehicle locators, ambient population, census measures, and business data at the street segment level. The present research has practical implications by identifying factors associated with crime that were understudied in the context of businesses.

Authors

• Christianna Palermo, Northeastern University

• Eric Piza, Northeastern University

• Savannah Reid, Northeastern University