Crime, fear, and control in neighborhood commercial centers

The major objective of this study was to examine how both commercial and residential characteristics contribute to crime and how these affect reactions to crime in mixed commercial-residential settings. The variables measured were designed to investigate how physical characteristics of commercial centers and demographic characteristics of residential areas affect crime. The physical characteristics include type of businesses, store hours, arrangement of buildings, and defensive modifications in the area. The demographic variables include racial composition, average household size and income, and percent change of occupancy. The crime data include six types of crime: robbery, burglary, assault, rape, personal theft, and shoplifting.