Spatial and Temporal Effects of Land Use on Police Arrests: Weekday-Weekend Variation

• In Event: Community Engagement, Neighborhoods, and Policing

Abstract

Policing patterns and arrest rates fluctuate across both time and space, yet the role of land use in shaping these variations remains underexplored. This study investigates how land use characteristics affect daily police arrest rates and whether these effects differ between weekdays and weekends. Using arrest data from the New York Police Department, land use data from NYC’s Primary Land Use Tax Lot Output, and neighborhood structural characteristics from the American Community Survey 5-year estimates, this research employs a multilevel modeling approach. Daily arrest rates (Level 1) are modeled with a weekend-weekday indicator, while land use and neighborhood structural characteristics (Level 2) are included to examine whether the relationship between land use and arrest rates varies by weekday versus weekend. Spatial lag variables are incorporated to account for spatial dependencies. The findings underscore the significance of both spatial and temporal factors in shaping policing strategies and urban policy, highlighting the need for context-sensitive law enforcement approaches.

Author

• Nan Li, Florida State University