Causal Effect of Small Businesses on Street Theft: Evidence from a Natural Experiment of the Beijing Cleanup Campaign

ConclusionsThere are two competing yet coexisting mechanisms through which small businesses influence street theft. On the one hand, commercial premises provide large numbers of criminal opportunities for potential offenders; on the other hand, they are central to local social control and order. While small businesses exercise a certain amount of natural surveillance power, as a whole, they function primarily as crime generators. Implications for implementing targeted policies tailored to the nature of small businesses are discussed.
Source: Journal of Quantitative Criminology - Category: Criminology Source Type: research