Elsevier

Journal of Criminal Justice

Volume 69, July–August 2020, 101706
Journal of Criminal Justice

Show me a man or a woman alone and I'll show you a saint: Changes in the frequency of criminal incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2020.101706Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • We investigate the relationship between COVID-19 and crime.

  • We use the Hodrick-Prescott filter and interrupted time series analysis.

  • Changes in trends because of COVID-19 vary by crime type.

  • Social restrictions shifted activity pB12atterns and impacted crime trends.

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the frequency of various crime types (property, violent, and mischief) in Vancouver, Canada.

Methods

Crime data representing residential burglary, commercial burglary, theft of vehicle, theft from vehicle, theft, violence, and mischief are analysed at the city level using interrupted time series techniques.

Results

While COVID-19 has not had an impact on all crime types, statistically significant change has been identified in a number of cases. Depending on the crime type, the magnitude and direction of the change in frequency varies. It is argued that (mandated) social restrictions, shifted activity patterns and opportunity structures which are responsible for these findings.

Conclusions

We find support for changes in the frequency of particular crime types during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is important for criminal justice and social service practitioners when operating within an extraordinary event.

Keywords

Pandemic
Extraordinary event
Crime
COVID-19
Canada

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