How Does the Business Environment Shape Mobility By Offenders and Mobile Targets?

Given that much street crime concentrates near businesses, a question is how the business composition of census blocks, not just specific businesses, impacts the spatial mobility of offenders and victims. The study uses data from Dallas, TX, from 2014 to 2020. The results showed that crimes occur farther from the home for offenders than for victims. Furthermore, locations with more consumer-facing businesses are targeted more often by offenders, and the mix of these businesses is particularly attractive for offenders. Finally, the results also showed that the presence of more consumer-facing businesses in the surrounding 400 m buffer increased the likelihood of offenders targeting a location for crime, regardless of the features of the block itself.