The Geography of Transit Crime

Abstract

The link between the social and physical environment and transit crime is an important one, but it is not well understood or explored. This study explores the environmenttransit crime connection by examining in depth the relation between crime incidence at the stations along a light-rail line in Los Angeles and the social and physical characteristics of the stations and their neighborhoods. The study employs a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze crime statistics, census and ridership data, and built environment data. It documents and evaluates the geography of crime along this light-rail line as well as the impact of sociodemographic and environmental attributes on crime incidence at the station.