The influence of changing reward of electronic consumer goods on burglary and theft offences in Western market-based countries in the years prior to and during the crime drop

Liam Quinn,Joseph Clare

doi:10.1186/s40163-021-00153-w

Abstract

It is widely recognised that burglary and theft offence trends have broadly moved in parallel in ‘Western’ market-based countries since the 1950s. Most researchers have focussed on the trend from the early 1990s onwards, when burglary and theft offence rates plummeted. One major proposed explanation for this trend, relates to improved security. This paper draws on the longitudinal variations in reward of electronic consumer goods to propose a complementary account. This argument is supported by criminological theory, empirical evidence, and historical trends of specific property crime offences. The paper concludes by explaining that reward and security operate in partnership to influence the opportunity for crime, which provides an optimal account for burglary and theft offence trends over the last 40 years.

Highlights

Burglary and theft offence trends have broadly moved in parallel in ‘Western’ market-based countries since the 1950s
While it is likely that reduced cash availability contributed to the crime drop, we focus on the changing reward of electronic consumer goods to explain changing burglary and theft offence rates in the time period prior to, as well as during the crime drop
As stated in the introduction, it is not the intention of this paper to posit that the changing reward of electronic consumer goods is the only factor causing the burglary and theft offence trends prior to and during the crime drop

Summary

Introduction

Burglary and theft offence trends have broadly moved in parallel in ‘Western’ market-based countries since the 1950s. Peer-reviewed research, and empirical data, this discussion paper explains why the changing reward of electronic consumer goods complements the security hypothesis in explaining burglary and theft offence trends from the 1950s to the present date.

Results

Conclusion