NCJ Number
76070
Journal
American Behavioral Scientist Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: (November/December 1976) Pages: 247-259
Date Published
1976
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Characteristics of crime in a Florida State University student housing project were investigated and the effect of different aspects of the project's physical environment on the crime rate and on criminal characteristics were examined.
Abstract
The housing project was composed of four kinds of structures: townhouses, single-level efficiency apartments, two-story apartments, and 16-unit apartment buildings. A victimization survey covering 15 months was administered to the entire project and about 66 percent of the residents responded. The physical environment of the project was analyzed for building type and placement, lighting, and traffic flow. A total of 25 percent of the households surveyed reported victimization during the survey period for a total of 112 larcenies, 61 burglaries, and 12 assorted crimes (primarily breaking and entering). An additional 25 percent reported having known a neighbor who was victimized. Of those households reporting direct victimization, 70 percent of the incidents occurred between midnight and 7 in the morning. About 70 percent of the victims were home when the crime occurred. The mean cost of items stolen was $148. Bicycles were most frequently taken, followed by money and clothing. The townhouse units had the highest theft rate; the single-floor efficiency apartments had the lowest rate. Structures near exit route streets, those providing poor occupant visibility of the surrounding area, and those which offered dark or protected areas in which criminals could hide and move had the highest crime rates. The townhouses were susceptible to theft because of the design (with bedrooms on the second floor) and because their sliding glass doors functioned poorly. Traffic patterns should be modified by restricting entry and exit to fewer points, especially late at night. Lighting between and around buildings should be improved, and shrubbery and trees which offer hiding places should be trimmed or removed. Maps, photographs of building structures, and four references are provided.