NCJ Number
181580
Journal
Journal of Crime & Justice Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Dated: 1999 Pages: 125-146
Editor(s)
J. M. Miller
Date Published
1999
Length
22 pages
Annotation
In examining how routine daily activities of populations affect the supply of potential offenders, the availability of targets, and the level of capable guardianship against crime, this study focused on the rate of motor vehicle theft in Lafayette, Louisiana, and found that crime-specific measures constituted an appropriate method for evaluating the merits of routine activity theory.
Abstract
Units of analysis for the study were 41 census tracts in the Lafayette parish. The dependent variable was the rate of motor vehicle theft for each census tract. The motor vehicle theft rate was measured using data provided by the Lafayette Police Department. Incident reports were obtained on all motor vehicle thefts reported to the police between 1994 and 1996. Independent variables included socio-demographic and physical characteristics of census tracts. Ordinary least squares regression analysis showed the rate of motor vehicle theft varied directly with the supply of potential offenders. Offender variables explained roughly the same amount of variation in the motor vehicle theft rate as available target variables. The percentage of poor persons contributed most to explaining variation in the rate of motor vehicle theft. The suitable target index was also significant in explaining the rate of motor vehicle theft. The author concludes that routine activities associated with an area significantly affect the rate of motor vehicle theft. 49 references and 4 tables