Gang‐related crime in Los Angeles remained stable following COVID‐19 social distancing orders

• Published date: 01 August 2021
• Author: Paul Jeffrey Brantingham,George E. Tita,George Mohler
• Date: 01 August 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12541

DOI: ./- .

SPECIAL ISSUE ARTICLE

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CRIME AND JUSTICE

Gang-related crime in Los Angeles remained

stable following COVID-19 social distancing

orders

Paul Jeffrey Brantingham1George E. Tita2George Mohler3

Department of Anthropology, University

of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles,

California, USA

Department of Criminology Law and

Society, University of California, Irvine,

Irvine, California, USA

Department of Computer and

Information Science, Indiana

University–Purdue University

Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Correspondence

PaulJeffrey Brantingham, Department of

Anthropology,University of California,

LosAngeles,  Haines Hall UCLA,Los

Angeles,CA , USA.

Email:branting@ucla.edu

Fundinginformation

ArmyResearch Office, Grant/Award Num-

ber:MURI grant WNF; Division

ofMathematical Sciences, Grant/Award

Numbers: ATD-, ATD-,

SCC-

Research Summary: The onset of extreme social

distancing measures is expected to have a dramatic

impact on crime. Here, we examine the impact of

mandated, city-wide social distancing orders aimed

at limiting the spread of COVID- on gang-related

crime in Los Angeles. We hypothesize that the unique

subcultural processes surrounding gangs may super-

sede calls to shelter in place and allow gang-related

crime to persist. If the normal guardianship of peo-

ple and property is also disrupted by social distanc-

ing, then we expect gang violence to increase. Using

autoregressive time series models, we show that gang-

related crime remained stable and crime hot spots

largely stationary following the onset of shelter in

place.

Policy Implications: In responding to disruptions to

social and economic life on the scale of the present

pandemic, both police and civilian organizations need

to anticipate continued demand, all while managing

potential reductions to workforce. Police are faced with

this challenge across a wide arrayof crime types. Civilian

interventionists tasked with responding to gang-related

crime need to be prepared for continued peacekeeping

and violence interruption activities, but also an expan-

sion of responsibilities to deal with “frontline” or “street-

level” management of public health needs.

Criminology & Public Policy. ;:–. ©  American Society of Criminology 423wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/capp