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The Cost of Avoiding Crime: The Case of Bogotá

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  • Alejandro Gaviria

    ()

  • Carlos Medina

    ()

  • Leonardo Morales

    ()

  • Jairo Nuñez

    ()

Abstract

We use hedonic price models to estimate the value households are willing to pay to avoidviolent crime in the city of Bogotá. We find that households living in the highestsocioeconomic level (stratum 6) pay up to 7.2% of their house values in order to preventaverage homicide rates from increasing in one standard deviation. Households in stratum 5pay up to 2.4% of their house values to prevent homicide rates from increasing. The resultsindicate the willingness to pay for security by households in Bogotá, and additionally,reveal that a pure public good like security, ends up creating urban private markets thatauction security. These markets imply different levels of access to public goods among thepopulation, and actually, the exclusion of the poorest. We find as well evidence of negativecapitalization of the rate of attacks against life, and positive capitalization of the presenceof police authority.

Suggested Citation

  • Alejandro Gaviria & Carlos Medina & Leonardo Morales & Jairo Nuñez, 2008. "The Cost of Avoiding Crime: The Case of Bogotá," BORRADORES DE ECONOMIA 004600, BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA.
    • Handle: RePEc:col:000094:004600
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John J. Donohue III & Steven D. Levitt, 2001. "The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 116(2), pages 379-420.
    2. Carlos Medina & Leonardo Morales & Jairo Nuñez, 2008. "Quality of Life in Urban Neighborhoods in Colombia:The Cases of Bogotá and Medellín," BORRADORES DE ECONOMIA 005126, BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA.
    3. Leonardo Morales & Carlos Medina, 2007. "Stratification and Public Utility Services in Colombia: Subsidies to Households or Distortion of Housing Prices?," ECONOMIA JOURNAL, THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION - LACEA, vol. 0(Spring 20), pages 41-99, January.
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    6. Carlos Medina & Jairo Núñez, 2006. "La Oferta De Servicios Del Sector Financiero Formal En Bogotá," DOCUMENTOS CEDE 003043, UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES-CEDE.
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    Cited by:

    1. Carlos Medina & Leonardo Morales & Jairo Nuñez, 2008. "Quality of Life in Urban Neighborhoods in Colombia:The Cases of Bogotá and Medellín," BORRADORES DE ECONOMIA 005126, BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA.
    2. David M. Vetter & Kaizô I. Beltrão & Rosa M. R. Massena, 2013. "The Impact of the Sense of Security from Crime on Residential Property Values in Brazilian Metropolitan Areas," Research Department Publications IDB-WP-415, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    3. Manfred Grautoff, Fernando Chavarro, Jazmín Balaguer, 2010. "Torneo criminal, aversión al riesgo y seguridad ciudadana: comportamiento criminal en Bogotá D.C," REVISTA CIFE, UNIVERSIDAD SANTO TOMÁS, June.
    4. Alejandro Gaviria & Carlos Medina & Jorge Andres Tamayo, 2010. "Assessing the Link between Adolescent Fertility and Urban Crime," Borradores de Economia 594, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    5. Carlos Medina & Christian Posso & Jorge Andrés Tamayo, 2011. "Costos de la violencia urbana y políticas públicas: algunas lecciones de Medellín," Borradores de Economia 674, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    6. Carlos Medina & Jorge Andrés Tamayo, 2011. "An Assessment of How Urban Crime and Victimization Affects Life Satisfaction," BORRADORES DE ECONOMIA 007876, BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA.
    7. Leonardo Fabio Morales, 2015. "Peer Effects on a Fertility Decision: an Application for Medellín, Colombia," ECONOMIA JOURNAL, THE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION - LACEA, vol. 0(Spring 20), pages 119-159, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Housing Demand; Crime; Illegal Behavior; Law Enforcement;

    JEL classification:

    • K40 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - General
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand

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