Economics 286W
Honors Seminar
Spring
2002
Wednesdays 3:30-5
HRM 221
R. N. Langlois
322
Monteith X63472
Office
hours MW 1-3 or by appointment
Assignment 5
Our next speaker will be Steve Sacks, who will talk about his work in crime mapping, that is, in applying techniques of computerized mapping and operations research (a body of techniques for solving complex management problems) to police practice and crime prevention. In addition to discussing how crime mapping works, he will also demonstrate some of the software he uses. In order to prepare for the talk, you should read some excerpts (chapter 3 and chapter 4) from a book called Mapping Crime: Principle and Practice by Keith Harries.
Chapter 3 of the book (p. 75) talks about “crime displacement,” the idea that prevention programs do not literally eradicate crime but cause it to shift along a number of dimensions (or “margins,” as economists would say). This idea fits in well with the economic approach to crime. Your assignment is to think about the economic approach to crime. What is it? Does it make sense? Your specific assignment is this: can you link the general economic approach to crime with the possibilities opened up by crime mapping? How would you analyze the phenomenon of displacement in economic terms?
On the economic approach to crime, you might find useful this essay by Nobel laureate Gary Becker, who is often credited with having opened up this field. You may also find interesting this chapter by David Friedman. You are of course welcome to dig up other sources.
Due: April 10.
