Community Safety Paper Series. Understanding Crime Displacement: A Guide for Community Development Practitioners
Date Published: 12/02/2009
Author: Rob T. Guerette - Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Florida International University, Miami
Publisher: LISC
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The idea that crime will automatically relocate in the aftermath of community development initiatives (CDIs) is perhaps one of the most commonly held beliefs among development specialists and police, alike. It is commonly used as a rationale for doing nothing about some community crime problem. However, this belief, which is referred to as crime displacement, is not universally true. In fact, research on the extent of crime displacement has repeatedly found that crime displacement is the exception rather than the rule and that the opposite of displacement - diffusion of crime and control benefits - is just as likely to occur. This case provides guidance to community developers and their police partners about how to assess displacement risks and mitigate them in project planning and implementation.
Topic: --Community Safety
Type: Case study / model practice, Guidebook