Security in Stockholm's underground stations: The importance of environmental attributes and context

The aim of this article is to report on the security conditions in underground stations and surrounding areas in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The study is based on a comprehensive fieldwork combined with Geographical Information Systems techniques and regression models. Findings show that a relatively small share of reported events is crime; acts of public disorder are more common at the stations. Events tend to happen in the evenings – nights, holidays and weekends – and, at least for theft, in the hotter months of the year. Although the highest number of events is found in the central station, the so-called ‘end-stations’ show often higher rates than those located in the inner city. Results show that opportunities for crime are dependent on stations’ environmental attributes, type of neighbourhood in which they are located and city context. These findings lend weight to principles of traditional urban criminology theory such as routine activity and social disorganisation. The article concludes with directions for future research and suggestions for policy.