Out of Business, Out of Opportunity? The Effects of Closing (and Reopening) Big Box Grocery Stores on Crime in the Surrounding Area

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

Abstract

The presence of major nodes, whether crime generating and/or attracting, can influence crime and disorder in an area. Retail grocery stores are one specific node that facilitate opportunities for shoplifting, vehicle crime, and general disorder in the surrounding area. Urban re-development efforts in Cincinnati, Ohio provided a natural experiment to assess the effect of retail grocery stores’ closing (and re-opening) on crime and disorder. This study examines crime levels, before, during, and after the redevelopment of two retail grocery stores relative to similar grocery retailers in the area. The implications of the study’s results for crime and place theory and policy are discussed.

Authors

• Jillian Grace Shafer, University of Cincinnati

• Cory P. Haberman, University of Cincinnati