Crime and Victimization in Miami

Abstract

This chapter considers the flipside of globalization and economic progress in Miami—urban crime. Crime is not homogeneous; there are several distinct types, each with its own etiology and consequences. Homicide, for example, is related to but emerges from causal configurations different from those leading to property theft or money laundering. The chapter reviews leading theories of urban crime in order to develop a framework to fit empirical findings. It highlights the fact that not all urban crime occurs at street level or involves personal victims. It indicates the physical association between different forms of crime and locations in urban space. It shows that wealthier areas of town are not crime-free. They are sites for different forms of crime—more complex, apparently “victimless,” but at times more insidious than the street varieties.