NCJ Number
79251
Journal
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1981) Pages: 83-90
Date Published
1981
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Using demographic data and crime rates from suburban Philadelphia communities, this study applied exploratory data analysis to property crime and concluded that these offenses are best explained by the attractions that suburbs offer to outside offenders.
Abstract
An overview of exploratory data analysis emphasizes that this technique differs from current procedures in social sciences because it examines what the data seems to say instead of testing hypotheses. Previous studies have related the level of property and violent crime in large cities to the socioeconomic attributes of the population, assuming that crime is generated within the community. When exploratory data analysis was applied to demographic and crime statistics from 101 incorporated communities in southern New Jersey near Philadelphia, however, correlations between crime and socioeconomic variables suggested that a crime attraction model was more appropriate for the suburbs. The following attributes were then selected to explain statistically the level of property crimes in this area: per capita police expenditure, transportation linkages with Philadelphia, commercial land use, real estate valuations, population density, and percent crime cleared of total crimes committed. Variables were also included to permit comparisons with rural communities. The results of the analysis showed that criminals were attracted to the suburbs by the wealth and commercial establishments, and that attraction was inversely related to the effectiveness of policing. Tables and 10 references are provided.