Reducing the Unanticipated Crime Harms of Covid-19 Policies

Research Summary

Covid-19 and related policies are changing the nature and distribution of crime in various ways. Lockdowns restrict movements and change everyday interactions that produce crime. So burglary is likely to decline as people stay home (increasing home guardianship) and commercial premises close. Public assaults and disorder should decline with pub and entertainment district closures. However, greater time spent at home, particularly with at-home alcohol sales increasing, can be expected to provide increased interactions from which domestic violence and child abuse occur. Fraud, in-person, via text, email and online, is likely to increase because the pandemic offers a new set of ‘conversation starters’ for fraudsters, while remote working and online leisure activities provide more potential targets for online victimisation of various types.

The research will seek to quantify these patterns and trends, identifying new and emerging crimes, and to combine lessons from cross-national comparative research. Crime science and environmental criminology provide a set of theoretical tools appropriate to addressing the effects of lockdowns and other changes due to COVID-19. The study will develop theoretically informed analysis (hypothesis testing) using police data from partner forces, to assess changing crime patterns with a view to informing police and crime prevention efforts. The overall aim is to identify lessons for policy and practice that reduce the harm from crime related to covid-19 policies.

Lead Investigator(s):

Prof Graham Farrell, University of Leeds
Prof Nicolas Malleson, University of Leeds
Dr Dan Birks, University of Leeds

Prof Shane Johnson, UCL
Prof Kate Bowers, UCL
Prof Nick Tilley, UCL