GEOGRAPHICAL MOBILITY, GOVERNMENTAL ASSISTANCE TO THE POOR, AND RATES OF URBAN CRIME

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to re-examine the effects of governmental aid to the poor and geographical mobility on rates of urban crime. Previous research based on small samples of SMSAs suggests that these two variables are important predictors of rates of serious crime. Analyses based on a large number of SMSAs in 1980 (N=292) generally reaffirm earlier conclusions. Governmental assistance to the poor exhibits significantly negative associations with homicide rates, and geographical mobility yields significantly positive associations with all measures of index offenses. The results also replicate the prior finding of regional interactions in the effects of poverty on most types of serious crime.

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