NCJ Number
242091
Journal
Security Journal Volume: 26 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2013 Pages: 33-59
Date Published
February 2013
Length
27 pages
Annotation
The aim of this article is to report on the security conditions in underground stations and surrounding areas in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.
Abstract
The aim of this article is to report on the security conditions in underground stations and surrounding areas in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The study is based on a comprehensive fieldwork combined with Geographical Information Systems techniques and regression models. Findings show that a relatively small share of reported events is crime; acts of public disorder are more common at the stations. Events tend to happen in the evenings - nights, holidays and weekends - and, at least for theft, in the hotter months of the year. Although the highest number of events is found in the central station, the so-called 'end-stations' show often higher rates than those located in the inner city. Results show that opportunities for crime are dependent on stations' environmental attributes, type of neighborhood in which they are located and city context. These findings lend weight to principles of traditional urban criminology theory such as routine activity and social disorganization. The article concludes with directions for future research and suggestions for policy. (Published Abstract)