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Crime under Lockdown: The Impact of COVID-19 on Citizen Security in the City of Buenos Aires

Author

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  • Perez-Vincent, Santiago M.
  • Schargrodsky, Ernesto
  • García Mejía, Mauricio

Abstract

This paper studies the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown on criminal activity in the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina. We find a large, significant, robust, and immediate decline in crime following quarantine restrictions. We observe the effect on property crime reported to official agencies, police arrests, and crime reported in victimization surveys, but not in homicides. The decrease in criminal activity was greater in business and transportation areas, but still large in commercial and residential areas (including informal settlements). After the sharp and immediate fall, crime recovered but, as of November 2020, it did not reach its initial levels. The arrest data additionally allow us to measure the distance from the detainees address to the crime location. Crime became more local as mobility was restricted.

Suggested Citation

  • Perez-Vincent, Santiago M. & Schargrodsky, Ernesto & García Mejía, Mauricio, 2021. "Crime under Lockdown: The Impact of COVID-19 on Citizen Security in the City of Buenos Aires," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 11423, Inter-American Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:brikps:11423
    DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0003431
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    Cited by:

    1. Kandaswamy Paramasivan & Rahul Subburaj & Saish Jaiswal & Nandan Sudarsanam, 2022. "Empirical evidence of the impact of mobility on property crimes during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Trudeau, Jessie, 2022. "Limiting aggressive policing can reduce police and civilian violence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Crime; Citizen security; Argentina; COVID-19; lockdown; COVID-19; COVID-19; COVID-19; COVID-19;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy

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