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There has been considerable interest in recent decades for the identification of the physical correlates of crime in different urban settings. This study focuses on bus stop crime and seeks to understand how different environmental attributes in the vicinity of a bus stop can affect the incidence of crime. We first review evidence from the relevant literature to understand the impacts of built environment on crime. This is followed by the presentation of our empirical research. We have used a stratified random sample of 60 bus stops in downtown Los Angeles to examine the effects of environmental and land use attributes on crime per capita. Using descriptive statistics, correlations, regression and discriminant analyses, and matched pair analysis the study finds some relations between the existence or absence of certain environmental attributes and the incidence of crime.

Can we understand why some bus stops are safe and others are crimeridden? Can we predict which features of the bus stop environment are likely to encourage or discourage crime? Can we design safer bus stops? These questions are addressed by exploring the relationship between environmental variables and bus stop crime. An earlier study used crime data, along with environmental indicators, for a sample of 60 bus stops in downtown Los Angeles. Crime rates were higher for bus stops near alleys, multifamily housing, liquor stores and check-cashing establishments, vacant buildings, and graffiti and litter. In contrast, good visibility of the bus stop from its surroundings and the existence of bus shelters contributed to lower crime rates. This earlier study was indicative but not predictive of the elements that contribute to bus stop crime. With the geographic and temporal expansion of the data (covering a larger city part over a longer time span), a series of regression models was generated that identify environmental predictors of bus stop crime. These models show that the most important predictor of crime is location. If the environment is controlled, undesirable facilities and litter result in higher crime rates, whereas visibility and many pedestrians lead to lower crime rates. The presence or absence of certain characteristics in the bus stop microenvironment can affect crime. Also, the appropriate design and layout of the physical environment can reduce opportunities for criminal actions.

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The link between the social and physical environment and transit crime is an important one, but it is not well understood or explored. This study explores the environmenttransit crime connection by examining in depth the relation between crime incidence at the stations along a light-rail line in Los Angeles and the social and physical characteristics of the stations and their neighborhoods. The study employs a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze crime statistics, census and ridership data, and built environment data. It documents and evaluates the geography of crime along this light-rail line as well as the impact of sociodemographic and environmental attributes on crime incidence at the station.