The researchers begin by acknowledging how both politicians and the politicians’ constituents generally believe marijuana dispensaries attract crime in ways similar to what has been seen with liquor stores. So after the City of Los Angeles decided to close down more than 400 dispensaries, did the crime rates in the neighborhoods of those shops subsequently plummet?
It appears not, at least in the short term. Instead, when the rates in those neighborhoods were compared with the rates in neighborhoods where dispensaries were allowed to remain open, the evidence indicated property crimes and theft from vehicles increased while the rates of other crimes did not change much over the next few months.
Why is this? The answer began to emerge when the researchers went on to find a similar effect in areas adjacent to restaurants temporarily closed for health violations. Property crime rates increased until the restaurants opened again. The reason had to do with what the researchers called “eyes on the street.” An open store or restaurant attracts traffic, and moderate amounts of traffic deter criminal activity.
This doesn’t mean we should allow the unhealthy restaurants to stay open. Poisoning the customers is worse than having their cars broken into. It does mean we should encourage enough foot traffic around neighborhood stores so that even if one shuts down, there are still plenty of eyes on the street.
Encourage the success of stores where people want to dwell. Cafés, dress shops, hardware stores, and book shops are examples. But any store appealing to a specialty interest and staffed by experts can increase dwell time. Advocate for plazas where people can gather and decorative streets where they can stroll.
Doing this requires attention. Keeping up appearances outside your store can be more difficult than handling the interior décor. Store owners frequently don’t own the building itself so have limited control over the exterior. Municipalities short on funding may emphasize attention to industrial parks and Big Box power centers, since they pay such a high percentage of the property and sales tax revenues. Small to midsize independently-owned retail operations get fewer publicly-funded amenities. And often, there’s lax enforcement of city regulations mandating quality standards for exteriors.
For your success: Retailer’s Edge: Boost Profits Using Shopper Psychology
Click below for more:
Increase Home Prices in Your Neighborhood
Dress Up Your Neighborhood
Check for Unintended Consequences
No comments:
Post a Comment