NCJ Number
214306
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 17 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2006 Pages: 173-187
Date Published
June 2006
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examined the influence of a neighborhood's physical condition and signs of disorder on crime rates in two police precincts in Mobile, Al, after controlling for neighborhood socioeconomic conditions believed to be linked to crime.
Abstract
The study found that symbolic signs of physical deterioration (abandoned or poorly maintained housing, litter, and vandalism), signs of vulnerability (dark and empty streets), and the presence or absence of defensible features (adequate lighting, surveillance opportunities, and barriers to entry) were related to a neighborhood's rate of violent and property crime; however, the crime rate varied in relation to the degree of neighborhood deterioration. In rating neighborhoods as having high, medium, and low deterioration, the study found that rates for both violent and property crime were highest for neighborhoods beginning to show signs of deterioration, but the rates were lowest in neighborhoods with high deterioration. The author explains this pattern under the theory of rational choice, i.e., offenders who commit violent and property crimes for the money they bring prefer to commit their crimes in neighborhoods that appear vulnerable but also where residents apparently have sufficient property and money to make predatory crime worthwhile. The study used an environmental survey designed to measure the physical condition of each targeted residential block. The environmental survey was conducted throughout November 2001. Crime data were obtained from the Mobile Police Department for the period from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2002. All calls-for-service related to crime and disorder were coded by geographic location, thus linking crimes to neighborhoods. Four models were used to test the hypothesis that neighborhood disorder and the level of physical deterioration of a neighborhood either independently or in combination influenced the rate of violent and property crime. 2 tables, 2 figures, 3 notes, and 32 references