CRIME DISPLACEMENT - THE LITERATURE AND STRATEGIES FOR ITS INVESTIGATION

• NCJ Number: 55865
• Journal: CRIME ET/AND JUSTICE Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (1978) Pages: 100-108
• Author(s): T GABOR
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Ottawa
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

LITERATURE ON DEVIANCE AND CRIME DISPLACEMENT IS REVIEWED, AND THE EXCLUSION OF CRIME DISPLACEMENT IN EVALUATIVE RESEARCH PERTAINING TO CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS IS EXAMINED.

Abstract

THE ASSESSMENT OF WHAT CONSTITUTES DEVIANT BEHAVIOR DEPENDS ON CERTAIN SITUATIONAL VARIABLES. ONE OF THE MOST SALIENT VARIABLES IS THE EFFICACY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. SATISFACTION WITH THE QUALITY OF POLICING TENDS TO EVOKE GREATER PARTICIPATION OF THE PUBLIC IN THEIR COLLECTIVE SECURITY AND FREQUENTLY RESULTS IN AN INCREASED PROPENSITY TO REPORT OFFENSES. CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS MAY FAIL DUE TO INEFFECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MAY ALSO BE HINDERED BY DISCRETIONARY ACTIVITIES WITHIN SEGMENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE ACTUAL ALTERATION OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR ON THE PART OF OFFENDERS, IN RESPONSE TO INCREASED DIFFICULTY OR RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMMISSION OF SPECIFIC CRIMINAL ACTS, MAY NEUTRALIZE CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS. CRIME DISPLACEMENT IS DEFINED AS THE REAPPEARANCE OF CRIMINALITY ALONG SOME DIMENSION(S) FOLLOWING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN OSTENSIBLY EFFECTIVE CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM. FIVE FORMS OF DISPLACEMENT ARE GEOGRAPHIC, TEMPORAL, TACTICAL, TARGET, AND ACTIVITY-RELATED. THE GEOGRAPHIC DISPLACEMENT OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY HAS RECEIVED THE MOST ATTENTION IN THE LITERATURE. EVALUATIVE RESEARCH ON CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS HAS GENERALLY IGNORED THE POSSIBILITY OF DISPLACEMENT EFFECTS. WHERE DISPLACEMENT IS CONSIDERED, THE INVESTIGATION OF DISPLACEMENT IS RARELY INCORPORATED IN THE EVALUATION DESIGN AND NO STUDIES OUTLINE CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFYING DISPLACEMENT. OTHER PROMINENT METHODOLOGICAL DEFICIENCIES IN THE LITERATURE WITH REGARD TO DISPLACEMENT ARE THE ANECDOTAL AND DESCRIPTIVE NATURE OF SEVERAL STUDIES, THE EXCLUSION OF A SUBJECTIVE COMPONENT IN ANALYSIS (DISPLACEMENT INFERRED DIRECTLY FROM BEHAVIOR), THE USE OF BEFORE-AFTER THAN TIME SERIES DESIGNS, LACK OF SELECTION CRITERIA FOR COMPARISON GROUPS, GENERAL DISREGARD FOR KEY CONTEMPORANEOUS FACTORS SUCH AS POLICE DEPLOYMENT STRATEGIES AND THE REPORTING OF VIOLATIONS, AND THE ASSUMPTION OF LOCALIZED DISPLACEMENT IN GEOGRAPHIC STUDIES. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)