NCJ Number
149359
Journal
Journal of Crime and Justice Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: (1994) Pages: 69-94
Date Published
1994
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The Portside Marketplace in Toledo, Ohio, failed as a downtown retail entertainment center, and a study was subsequently conducted to determine if the facility's lack of use could be attributed to the public's fear of crime.
Abstract
The study investigated who used Toledo's downtown entertainment areas at night, public perceptions of downtown safety, and avoidance of downtown areas due to fear of crime. Telephone interviews were carried out in 1989 with a sample of 400 respondents obtained using random digit dialing procedures. The overall interview completion rate was 65 percent. Study findings revealed that fear of crime contributed to the Portside Marketplace's failure. The deterrent effect of fear of crime operated over and above the effects of respondent age and family income. Fear of crime appeared to have the greatest influence among respondents with lower family incomes. The target audience for the entertainment center, however, was younger people with higher family incomes, and this group seemed to be the least affected by downtown safety considerations. 31 references, 2 endnotes, and 6 tables