Impact of a crime prevention ordinance for small retail establishments.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Ordinances requiring the implementation of robbery prevention measures have been enacted at the city level in many jurisdictions. We evaluated the impact of an ordinance requiring crime prevention measures on subsequent crime rates. METHODS: Crime reports for robbery and aggravated assault from January 2006 through December 2015 were linked to randomly-selected convenience stores and small retail grocers in Houston (n = 293). Store characteristics and compliance with a list of safety measures were collected by surveyors in 2011. Generalized linear mixed models were used to compare rates of crime before and after the implementation of the ordinance. RESULTS: Robberies decreased significantly after the ordinance went into effect (rate ratio = 0.38; 95% confidence interval 0.29-0.51). No individual safety measure was associated with decreased robbery rates. No similar decrease was observed for aggravated assault. CONCLUSIONS: City ordinances mandating crime prevention measures can be effective. We could not parse out the effectiveness of individual elements, suggesting a comprehensive approach may be more effective.