The routine activities of violent crime places: A retrospective case-control study of crime opportunities on street segments

This study uses a retrospective case-control research design to isolate the influence of routine activities variables independent of neighborhood effects in explaining variation between street segments with low and high trajectories of outdoor street violence in Newark, New Jersey. Group-based trajectory models were estimated to characterize longitudinal patterns of incidents reported to the Newark Police Division from 2008 to 2013. Comparable low violence (N = 178) and high violence (N = 178) street segments were matched following three selection criteria. Logistic regression models were then estimated to determine the influence of motivated offenders, suitable targets, and guardianship measures on explaining variation between violence patterns at street segments. Motivated offenders and suitable target measures offered stronger predictors of variation between low and high violence street segments within neighborhoods compared to guardianship measures. This research generally supports the basic tenets of routine activities theory and the salience of informal and formal social control in addressing violence at micro-places even when accounting for neighborhood effects. A variety of prevention strategies designed to modify local criminal opportunity structures can be implemented to better position cities to be effective in their violence prevention efforts. •Newark street violence persistently concentrates at a few micro-places over time.•Crime opportunity measures predict the existence of high violence street segments.•High numbers of motivated offenders and suitable targets present at violent places.•Community-based organizations did not protect against street violence in Newark.•Informal social control at violence places requires more than just presence.