NCJ Number
105697
Journal
Journal of Architectural and Planning Research Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (November 1986) Pages: 339-361
Date Published
1986
Length
23 pages
Annotation
A telephone survey of a random sample of 1,088 households in West Central Los Angeles was conducted between November 1983 through mid-April 1984 to determine the extent and nature of crimes on the bus system and identify bus stop locations where crimes occur; land uses and social behavior associated with three high-crime bus stops were studied.
Abstract
Nine percent of the respondents had experienced a serious (Part I) crime in Los Angeles sometime in their lives, and 19 percent had witnessed a bus-related crime; 43 percent had some contact with bus crime in Los Angeles. Fifty-four percent of the crimes reported occurred at or on the way to and from bus stops. Other research has shown that most bus crimes in Los Angeles occur in the late afternoon and early evening. At one of the high-crime bus stops, the probable existence of a drug trade fosters crime, and at a second corner, sidewalk crowding encourages pickpocketing and purse snatching. At a third corner, crime is influenced by the presence of a high school in the midst of a sizeable elderly residential population. An environmental database that incorporates information on land use and social behavior would strengthen police reporting procedures and help focus public safety planning. 14 figures and 18 references.