Ecological Networks and Urban Crime: The Structure of Shared Routine Activity Locations and Neighborhood‐level Informal Control Capacity

Abstract

Drawing on Jacobs (1961), we hypothesize that public contact among neighborhood residents while engaged in day-to-day routines, captured by the aggregate network structure of shared local exposure, is consequential for crime. Neighborhoods in which residents come into contact more extensively in the course of conventional routines will exhibit higher levels of public familiarity, trust, and collective efficacy with implications for the informal social control of crime. We employ the concept of ecological (“eco-”) networks – networks linking households within neighborhoods through shared activity locations – to formalize the notion of overlapping routines. Using micro-simulations of household travel patterns to construct census tract-level eco-networks for Columbus, OH, we examine the hypothesis that eco-network intensity (the probability that households tied through one location in a neighborhood eco-network will also be tied through another visited location) is negatively associated with tract-level crime rates (N=192). Fitted spatial autoregressive models offer evidence that neighborhoods with higher intensity eco-networks exhibit lower levels of violent and property crime. In contrast, a higher prevalence of non-resident visitors to a given tract is positively associated with property crime. These analyses hold the potential to enrich insight into the ecological processes that shape variation in neighborhood crime.

Crime in Greater Los Angeles: Experiences and Perceptions of Local Urban Residents

“…Some of the respondents have only lived in the Los Angeles are for 1 to 5 years, so it stands to reason that the longer they live here the more likely they will be targeted for some type of crime at some point. The types of crimes that were highlighted in their responses are also in line with what other studies have found, such as with violent crimes and property crimes (Browning et al, 2017;Chang, 2017;Easter, 2017). None of the respondents mentioned anything about any type of hate crime committed against them, so this was not in line with what was discussed earlier in the articles about the prevalence of hate crimes across Los Angeles Burks et al, 2018;Stotzer, 2008;Stotzer, 2010).…”

“…They found in their research that when community residents in urban areas do not have adequate social networks built on trust and reciprocity that both violent and property crimes are higher than they otherwise would be. This finding fits well with what other researchers have found regarding social capital and social control, urban crime and routine activities, rail transit, and cultural assimilation (Browning, Calder, Boettner, & Smith, 2017;Burchfield & Silver, 2013;MacDonald, Hipp, & Gill, 2012;Ridgeway & MacDonald, 2016). Burchfield and Silver (2013) found in their research on Latino Los Angeles residents that the more social disorganization there is in the community the more likely they are to be victimized and the higher overall crime rates are.…”

“…They went on to point out that when these types of routine activities between residents are lower, and when there are higher numbers of nonresidents people in an area, the higher the overall crime rates are. These ecological processes demonstrate that when people are more connected to a community, and to each other, the lower crime rates will be (Browning et al, 2017; MacDo- , 2012;Ridgeway & MacDonald, 2016).…”

“…; Burchfield & Silver, 2013;Moore & Recker, 2017;Ridgeway & MacDonald, 2016). Browning et al (2017) used fitted…”

“…It is widely believed in the general population that the higher the immigration rates the higher the crime rates, but many studies have not found this to be the case. It is not immigration per se that is associated with crime, it has more to do with matters pertaining to poverty, social capital, routines activities, the transitional nature of communities, social disorganization, and so forth (Browning et al, 2017;Burchfield & Silver, 2013;Chang & Lau, 2016;Ridgeway & MacDonald, 2016). Macdonald et al (2013) found that the higher the levels of assimilation among immigrants the lower the crime rates are in any given area.…”