Data and Code for: Understanding the link between temperature and crime

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Francois Cohen, University of Barcelona and University of Oxford; Fidel Gonzalez, Sam Houston State University

Version: View help for Version V1

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified
CODE_FINAL			09/05/2023 04:08:PM

Project Citation:

Cohen, Francois, and Gonzalez, Fidel. Data and Code for: Understanding the link between temperature and crime. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2024. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2024-04-04. https://doi.org/10.3886/E182601V1

Project Description

Summary:

Data and code accompanying the article "Understanding the Link between Temperature and Crime"

The correlation between hot weather and crime is well documented but not fully understood. We combine millions of administrative records, victimization surveys on unreported crime and daily weather information to analyze the effect of temperatures on crime in Mexico. We find that sample selection cannot explain the observed positive correlation between temperature and crime. Moreover, we find that shifts in alcohol consumption and time use on weekends are responsible for 28 percent of temperature-induced crimes. We also observe changes in the hour and location of crimes, providing new evidence on the importance of time use as a determinant of crime.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: temperature; crime; time use; deterrence; alcohol

JEL Classification:
      D91 Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
      K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
      Q54 Climate; Natural Disasters and Their Management; Global Warming

Geographic Coverage: Mexico and USA

Time Period(s): 1992 – 2022

Data Type(s): administrative records data; census/enumeration data; geographic information system (GIS) data; program source code; survey data

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Published Versions

V1 [2024-04-04]

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