An Examination of the 80-20 Pareto Principle for Crime Concentration at Crime Generators

• In Event: Place and Spatial Conditions: Advancing Existing Evidence and Measurement

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between various crime generators and urban crime across street segments in four major U.S. cities: Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, and Seattle. It explores how facilities, such as bars, pawn shops, grocery stores, parking garages, and marijuana dispensaries, are associated with crime. The findings indicate that certain generators, like pawn shops and parking garages, consistently exhibit higher crime risks across all cities, while others, such as bars and grocery stores, show more variability depending on the local environment. The study also reveals that the concentration of crime in the highest-risk segments generally follows the 80-20 Pareto principle, with some exceptions like bus stops and subways, which display more dispersed crime patterns. These findings emphasize the importance of local urban contexts in shaping crime patterns and informing targeted crime prevention strategies.

Authors

• Marc Huffer, Temple University

• Amelie Motzer, Temple University

• Alese Wooditch, Temple University