Research into the relationships between climatic and temporal variables and various types of violent crime has become increasingly popular over the last 30 years. Recently, Perry and Simpson (1987) published a study examining the relationships among several environmental variables, including monthly and seasonal cycles, temperature and precipitation, and the monthly rates of murder, rape, and aggravated assault in Raleigh, North Carolina. This article examines the recent literature on environmental variables and crime, examines Perry and Simpson's research methodology, procedure, and results, and suggests improvements for future research in this area.
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