Crime Prevention and Active Living

Anastasia Loukaitou-SiderisDepartment of Urban Planning, UCLA

John EckDivision of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati

Is crime a barrier to active living and what gcan be done about it?

Contribution and relevance of:

environmental criminology

urban planning

How crime might influence physical activity

Situational Characteristics

Psychological, Demographic,

Environmental &Characteristics Environmental & Other factors

Crime and Disorder

Fear of Crime or Disorder

Other relationships, some of which may interact

Relationships of primary interestDisorder

Physical ActivityOther relationships, some of which may interact with primary interest relationships

Physical Activity

Research Questions• Which factors influence fear of crime and disorder among different groups?

•What are the fear-producing physical characteristics of places and how they create opportunities for crime?

•How is crime and fear of crime distributed among sets of similar places of interest to active living research?

•What works to reduce fear and crime?

Factors influencing fear of crime

• Psychological factors

• Socio-demographic factors

• Physical characteristics of places• Physical characteristics of places

S i d hi h t i tiSocio-demographic characteristics influencing fear of crime

• Gender

•Women are found to be typicallyWomen are found to be typically more fearful than men.

R h h h th t f•Research has shown that fear often prompts women to avoid walking or using public transit, and avoid certain public settings.

•Safety is a particular concern forSafety is a particular concern for minority women

Socio-demographic characteristicsSocio demographic characteristics influencing fear of crime

Race/ethnicity

Studies have found:Studies have found: Higher fear of crime and more barriers to walking i th i d i i tin ethnic and immigrant neighborhoods (Seefeldt 2002)

Higher levels of inactivity (Amesty 2003)inactivity (Amesty 2003)

Socio-demographic characteristics i fl i f f i

Age

influencing fear of crime

gOlder people are more fearful even though young adults are statistically more at risk. Studies have found a strong association between physical inactivity in older adults and safety concerns (CDC 1999; Brownson et al. 2000, Booth et al. 2000)Parental concerns about safety affect children walking and biking to school and their propensity to play in public outdoor settings (TRB 2002).

Socio-demographic characteristics g pinfluencing fear of crime

IncomeIncome• Lower socio-economic status is typically associated with unsafe neighborhoods (Seefeldt et al. 2002).

• Residents of poor neighborhoods have higher levels of fear of being victimized in public settings (Ross 2000).of being victimized in public settings (Ross 2000).

• Perceived lack of safety is a barrier to recreational walking for low income adults (Craig et al 2002)for low-income adults (Craig et al. 2002).

Fear-producing physical characteristics of places

Physical incivilities

Lack of maintenance, graffiti, litter, unkempt and abandoned buildings,unkempt and abandoned buildings, poor environmental quality

Social inci ilitiesSocial incivilities

Drunkenness, prostitution, homelessness

Fear-producing physical characteristics of places p g p y p

Enclosed spaces with limited exit opportunities

Anonymous and deserted openAnonymous and deserted open spaces

Fear-producing physical characteristics of placesp g p y p

Darkness

Desolation

Lack of surveillance opportunities from s rro nding establishmentsfrom surrounding establishments

Modifiers of fear and perceptions of risk

Socio-psychological Socio-demographic Environmental

• Experiences and Memories

• Gender• Race/Ethnicity

• Geographic Setting

• Prior Victimization

• Familiarity with

• Age• Poverty• Disability

• Physical Incivilities

• Social• Familiarity with Setting

• Media StoriesAd iti

• Disability • Social Incivilities

• BoundednessS ill• Admonitions • Surveillance Opportunities

• Lighting Level

C i d th B ilt E i tCrime and the Built EnvironmentCrime and the built environment are related in a systematic manner.

Different types of crime occur under different environmental

diticonditions.

Certain features of place can affect crime: multiple escape routes, crime generating land usesphysical disorder/ ‘brokenphysical disorder/ broken windows’

Di t ib ti f i d f f iDistribution of crime and fear of crime

• Distribution of crime is highly skewed

• Concentration of crime events at ‘hot spots’

Skewed crime risk at Los Angeles bus stops

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A C E G I K M O Q S U W Y AA AC AE AG AI

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Bus Stops (ranked from highest to lowest)

Skewed crime risk at Chula Vista parksSkewed crime risk at Chula Vista parks

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Parks (ranked from highest to lowest)

Adapted from Stedman, 2005

V

What works to reduce fear and crime?C i i l J ti S t

COURTS

CRIMINAL JUSTICE OFFENDER PROCESSINGN

Criminal Justice Systems

COURTSProsecution

DefenseCourtOther

CORRECTIONSPOLICE

EDU

CTI

O

Other

& F

EAR

RE

Other agencies

high crimelocation

VEN

TIO

N &

COMMUNITIES

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PREV

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Criminal Justice SystemsCriminal Justice SystemsThe contribution of CJ to the reduction of crime is chiefly through incapacitation, deterrence, or y g p , ,rehabilitation. Each of these strategies is somewhat effective but costly.

ff d h d b C dMost offenders are not touched by CJ systems and those who are do not penetrate the system very far. Earlier stages of CJ systems are more important forEarlier stages of CJ systems are more important for active living.The utility of relying exclusively on CJ systems to produce safety is questionableThe only parts of the CJ system that routinely addresses crime opport nities are the policeaddresses crime opportunities are the police

Problem-oriented policing

Problem-oriented policing promotes the systematic analysis of problems to y y pidentify potential solutions and partnerships with organizations and communities to reduce crimecommunities to reduce crime.

The more focused and the greater the range of actions available the greaterrange of actions available, the greater the likelihood that a police strategy reduces crime (Weisburd and Eck 2004)2004).

Environmental Criminology

Environmental criminology explains crime patterns and develops methods for reducing opportunities for committing crimescommitting crimes.

Three theoretical perspectives:

• Rational Choice Theory

• Routine Activity Theory• Routine Activity Theory

• Crime Pattern Theory

Situational Crime Prevention

•The physical and social characteristics of places and spaces determine offenders’ decisionsspaces determine offenders decisions.

•Places can be modified to reduce opportunities for icrime

•Compatibility with defensible space strategies and crime prevention through environmental design strategies (CPTED).

EXAMPLE OF APPLICATION OF SITUATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION IN CHULA VISTA PARKS

Situational Intervention How it worksSituational Interventions

Intervention at Parks

How it works

Reducing Rewards Banning alcohol Removes important reason for hanging out –ability to drink with others

Remove Excuses Posting signs Legitimacy of public drinking is removed and gremoval is clearly communicated

Increasing Risk Enforcing alcohol ban Offenders face substantially increasedsubstantially increased chance of arrest

Increasing Effort Removing cover, changing lighting &

Makes it harder to hide and reduces places

other physical changes

suitable for hanging out

Removing Provocations

Enforced ban on alcohol

Removes stimulus for violence among drinkersProvocations alcohol violence among drinkers and reason to litter parks with cans and bottles

Suggestions for effective place interventionsgg p

•Tailor interventions to the characteristics of the l i h i d h d i d fpopulation, the setting, and the desired type of

activity.Central Park (medium quality) Ross Snyder Park (high quality)• Focus on the worst first

• Locate environmental features that have a large ginfluence on crime

• Apply interventions with evidence of effectivenessApply interventions with evidence of effectiveness

• Reduce fear and perceptions of risk by tackling crime and disorder

Ross Snyder -swimming pool (high quality)Trinity Park (medium quality)

crime and disorder.

Suggestions for future researchggSituational Characteristics and Crime/Disorder

How environments important to active living influence concentration of crime?

H h l i l d d hi h t i ti fHow psychological and demographic characteristics of users influence crime and disorder?

How crime and disorder influence situational characteristics?

Trinity Park

How crime and disorder influence situational characteristics?

Crime/Disorder and Fear

How much and what types of crime have the greatest impact on fear?

H idl d f i ith i i i dHow rapidly does fear increase with increases in crime and disorder?

Suggestions for future researchSuggestions for future research

Fear and Physical Activity

How much fear is required to limit physical activity?

How fast fear alters physical activity?Encino Park (medium quality) Ross Snyder Park (high quality)

How fast fear alters physical activity?

How rapidly physical activity recovers following fear reduction?

Ph sical Acti it and Sit ational CharacteristicsPhysical Activity and Situational Characteristics

Gilbert Lindsay Park (low quality)Tarzana Park (high quality)