2011/02/22 by Graham Farrell, Andromachi Tseloni, Jen Mailley +1 · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Crime Patterns and Interventions #Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance #Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
paper · doi:10.1177/0022427810391539
openalex publication_date 2011/02/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
Major crime drops were experienced in the United States and most other industrialized countries for a decade from the early to mid-1990s. Yet there is little agreement over explanation or lessons for policy. Here it is proposed that change in the quantity and quality of security was a key driver of the crime drop. From evidence relating to vehicle theft in two countries, it is concluded that electronic immobilizers and central locking were particularly effective. It is suggested that reduced car theft may have induced drops in other crime including violence. From this platform, a broader security hypothesis, linked to routine activity and opportunity theory, is outlined.