Open AccessCOVID-19 and crime: Analysis of crime dynamics amidst social distancing protocols
Author(s) -
Shelby M. Scott,
Louis J. Gross
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0249414
Subject(s) - criminology , social distance , pandemic , property crime , interpersonal communication , covid-19 , statutory law , aggression , poison control , violent crime , geography , demographic economics , demography , political science , sociology , environmental health , psychology , medicine , law , social psychology , economics , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , pathology
In response to the pandemic in early 2020, cities implemented states of emergency and stay at home orders to reduce virus spread. Changes in social dynamics due to local restrictions impacted human behavior and led to a shift in crime dynamics. We analyze shifts in crime types by comparing crimes before the implementation of stay at home orders and the time period shortly after these orders were put in place across three cities. We find consistent changes across Chicago, Baltimore, and Baton Rouge with significant declines in total crimes during the time period immediately following stay at home orders. The starkest differences occurred in Chicago, but in all three cities the crime types contributing to these declines were related to property crime and statutory crime rather than interpersonal crimes.