Crime and economic activity. A panel data approach

We use aggregate data from 42 police force areas to examine the relationship between economic factors and property crime. The change in unemployment is seen to impact positively on four types of criminal activity examined. A widening of the distribution of weekly earnings of full-time manual men (a...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Witt, Robert (Author) ; Clarke, Alan (Author) ; Fielding, Nigel 1950- (Author)
Format: Electronic/Print Article
Language:English
Published: 1999
In: The British journal of criminology
Year: 1999, Volume: 39, Issue: 3, Pages: 391-400
Online Access: Volltext (doi)
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Availability in Tübingen:Present in Tübingen.
IFK: In: Z 7
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Keywords:
Arbeitslosigkeit
England
Entwicklung
Kraftfahrzeugdiebstahl
Kriminalität
Ökonomik
Wohnungseinbruch
Description
Summary:We use aggregate data from 42 police force areas to examine the relationship between economic factors and property crime. The change in unemployment is seen to impact positively on four types of criminal activity examined. A widening of the distribution of weekly earnings of full-time manual men (a measure of wage inequality) and increases in cars per capita (a measure of the availability of thievable property) lead to increases in crime. We also find evidence that increases in the size of the police force reduce property crime
ISSN:0007-0955
DOI:10.1093/bjc/39.3.391