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The crime drop and the security hypothesis

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journal contribution
posted on 2014-07-10, 07:46 authored by Graham Farrell, Andromachi Tseloni, Jen Mailley, Nick Tilley
Major crime drops were experienced in the United States andmost other industrialized countries for a decade from the early to mid-1990s. Yet there is little agreement over explanation or lessons for policy. Here it is proposed that change in the quantity andquality of security was a key driver of the crime drop. From evidence relating to vehicle theft in two countries, it is concluded that electronic immobilizers andcentral locking were particularly effective. It is suggested that reduced car theft may have induced drops in other crime including violence. From this platform, a broader security hypothesis, linked to routine activity and opportunity theory, is outlined. © The Author(s) 2011.

History

School

  • Social Sciences

Department

  • Communication, Media, Social and Policy Studies

Published in

Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency

Volume

48

Issue

2

Pages

147 - 175

Citation

The crime drop and the security hypothesis. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 48 (2), pp.147-175.

Publisher

© Sage

Version

  • AM (Accepted Manuscript)

Publication date

2011

ISSN

0022-4278

eISSN

1552-731X

Language

  • en