Situational Violent Crime Prevention at Specific Locations in Community Context: Place and Neighborhood Effects

Violent crime is concentrated at specific places and place clusters within neighborhoods. Situational interventions are effective at reducing disorders, property crimes, and violent crimes at places. Although situational interventions at places work, little is known about how place managers -- property owners and their representatives -- control places. And we know little about the effects of neighborhood context on management and crime at places. This knowledge is critical to the police and others trying to select the most effective situational interventions.

The proposed study will examine two specific types of places -- apartments and alcohol drinking establishments (e.g., bars and restaurants) -- with high and low levels of violent crime, using a case-control methodology. Site observations and owner interviews will be used to determine place-based differences that increase the risk of violent crime. In addition, community context will be explored by examining the physical and social characteristics (e.g., street patterns, land use and census information) of surrounding neighborhoods.

Multilevel analyses will examine how these place and neighborhood contextual factors work together to produce concentrated violence. The results will have direct application to situational crime prevention, problem-oriented policing and community crime prevention efforts. Findings will be presented to practitioners and researchers in the form of practice guides, reports, papers, and presentations at conferences.

ca/ncf