Are Parks Associated With Increased Levels Of Crime

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Groff & McCord Article Review

BACKGROUND

This study discusses the view of parks as dangerous public spaces associated with increased levels of crime. The main question these researchers strive to answer being: Are parks associated with increased levels of crime? According to the study, there are certain characteristics of parks that are associated with lower crime rates and some associated with higher crime rates. The study mentions that parks are often easily taken over and used for delinquent activities and behaviors such as drug dealers, homeless living spaces, etc.)

The study hypothesizes that neighborhood parks are crime generators and due to this, have significantly more crime in their general vicinity. This meaning, the closer you …show more content…

I’ve paired each with its subsequent null hypothesis below.

H0 Neighborhood parks have no significant difference in crime rates in relation to any other area.

H1 Neighborhood parks will be crime generators, thus having significantly more crime in their vicinity.

H0 There is no relationship between the number of recreational amenities and amount of crime experienced in a park and its surrounding areas.

H1 There is a positive relationship between the type of and number of active recreation amenities present in a park and the crime experienced by the park and surrounding areas.

H0 Rates of crime and disorder-related crime will remain constant in areas surrounding parks, including areas of mixed land usage.

H1 Rates of crime and disorder-related crime will be higher in and around parks surrounded by areas of mixed (residential and nonresidential) land usage.

METHODS

In regards to units of analysis, this study primarily focuses on the park as well as the streets immediately surrounding the park. They referred to this 50 foot area surrounding the park as the “park environs”. The researchers chose this area for their study due to theoretical reasons as well as data