Boomtown Blues: Long-Term Community Perceptions of Crime and Disorder

Abstract

Natural resource development has led to rapid population growth in rural areas throughout the globe and this frequently results in a corresponding number of social ills, including increased levels of antisocial behavior, disorder, and crime. This study uses data from five waves of surveys, involving a total of 3,000 respondents, conducted in a Canadian boomtown between 2008 and 2012, to shed light on how community residents perceive crime and disorder. Inconsistent with expectations, we found that residents were not typically worried about violent crime, but expressed concern about the reductions in quality of life due to anti-social behavior, drug use, and aggressive, impaired or dangerous driving. This research extends our understanding of the downsides of resource-based booms and has implications for rural policing and, in particular, the importance of traffic enforcement in these places.