COVID and Crime: An Early Empirical Look
43 Pages Posted: 17 Aug 2020 Last revised: 17 Dec 2020
David Abrams
University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School; University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School
Date Written: November 2, 2020
Abstract
Data from 25 large U.S. cities is assembled to estimate the impact of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic on crime. There is a widespread immediate drop in both criminal incidents and arrests most heavily pronounced among drug crimes, theft, residential burglaries, and most violent crimes. The decline appears to precede stay-at-home orders, and arrests follow a similar pattern as reports. There is no decline in homicides and shootings, and an increase in non-residential burglary and car theft in most cities, suggesting that criminal activity was displaced to locations with fewer people. Pittsburgh, New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington DC and Chicago each saw overall crime drops of at least 35%. Evidence from police-initiated reports and geographic variation in crime change suggests that most of the observed changes are not due to changes in crime reporting.
Keywords: Pandemic, criminal, homicide, shootings, robbery, burglary, violent crime, property crime, policing, COVID-19, empirical, race, law and economics, difference-in-difference, public safety, coronavirus
JEL Classification: H76, K14, K42
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
David S. Abrams (Contact Author)

University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School ( email )
3501 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
United States

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School ( email )
3641 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6365
United States
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