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. 2020 Jul-Aug:69:101706.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2020.101706. Epub 2020 Jun 20.

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

Tarah Hodgkinson  1 , Martin A Andresen  2
Affiliations

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

Tarah Hodgkinson et al. J Crim Justice. 2020 Jul-Aug.

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: COVID-19; Canada; Crime; Extraordinary event; Pandemic.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
COVID-19 daily infections, British Columbia.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Vancouver total crime trends.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Vancouver violent crime trends.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Vancouver mischief trends.
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Fig. 5
Vancouver theft of vehicle trends.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Vancouver theft from vehicle trends.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Vancouver theft trends.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Vancouver residential burglary trends.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Vancouver commercial burglary trends.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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