The Business of Murder: Business Types and the Moderating Effects of Neighborhood Context on Homicide

Abstract

Retail or commercial businesses in a neighborhood may act as crime generators or attractors, providing opportunities for crime, including homicide. However, different types of businesses may be more likely to be associated with homicide relative to others. Businesses such as restaurants that encourage clientele to stay on the property tend to have more active forms of guardianship, such as waitstaff or bouncers, whereas off-site or takeaway businesses like gas stations have more passive surveillance measures such as video cameras in place. Further, the relationship between businesses and homicide might vary based on neighborhood characteristics, including disadvantage. Using negative binomial regression models, we predict the number of homicides across several different types of businesses, controlling for neighborhood factors. We find that both off-site and on-site businesses are associated with more homicides, but find limited evidence that the effects are worsened when these businesses are located in socially disorganized neighborhoods. This suggests that businesses associated with lower levels of guardianship may contribute to homicide, but do not alone explain the concentration of homicide in disadvantaged neighborhoods.