Spatial Ecology of Stripped Cars (A Methodological Review) (From Link Between Crime and the Built Environment, Volume 2, P C391-C397, 1980, by Tetsuro Motoyama et al - See NCJ-79544)

• NCJ Number: 79577
• Author(s): T Motoyama; S Shore; H Rubenstein
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: American Institutes for Research
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Available on microfiche from NCJRS as NCJ-79544.

Annotation

This review assesses D. Ley's and R. Cybriwsky's investigation of the relationship between the existence of 'stripped' cars (deviant behavior), land use, and social control (surveillance) over urban spaces.

Abstract

The study's hypothesis was that the 'stripping' of cars occurs in areas where there is limited surveillance and a high proportion of socially unclaimed space. Using an inner city Philadelphia community, the researchers identified the location of each 'stripped' car through surveys and observational techniques. They then related the location to the physical and social characteristics of the immediate setting. The study relied on archival data on land use patterns and community characteristics. The study reports that the highest percentage of 'stripped' cars was found outside vacant houses and stores, institutional settings, and doorless flanks. Further, the study concluded that the settings adjacent to 'stripped' cars were not typical or representative of land use patterns and behavioral settings in the community sampled. Adjacent settings, such as vacant houses, empty lots, and institutional settings, were concluded to be vastly overrepresented as locations of 'stripped' cars. The review of the research methodology and findings does indicate support for the hypothesis that deviant behavior manifested in 'stripped' cars is more likely to be found in settings where surveillance can be expected to be low and social conditions are at a minimum.