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on Law and Economics |
| By: | Lindquist, Matthew J. (SOFI, Stockholm University); Patacchini, Eleonora (Cornell University); Vlassopoulos, Michael (University of Southampton); Zenou, Yves (Monash University) |
| Abstract: | We study spillover effects within co-offending networks by leveraging deaths of co-offenders for causal identification. Our results demonstrate that the death of a co-offender significantly reduces the criminal activities of other network members. We observe a decaying pattern in the magnitude of these spillover effects: individuals directly linked to a deceased offender experience the most significant impact, followed by those two steps away, and then those three steps away. Moreover, we find that the death of a more central co-offender leads to a larger reduction in aggregate crime. We also provide evidence consistent with a new theoretical prediction suggesting that the loss of a co-offender shrinks the future information set of offenders, altering their perceptions of the probability of being convicted and consequently affecting their criminal behavior. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding spillover effects for policymakers seeking to develop more effective strategies for crime prevention. |
| Keywords: | networks, crime, key players, exogenous deaths, spillovers |
| JEL: | A14 D85 K42 Z13 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17113&r= |
| By: | Porreca, Zachary |
| Abstract: | I analyze the demand side impacts of a supply side intervention into the market for illegal drugs in what has been described as America's largest open air drug market. Beginning in 2018, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office and the Philadelphia Police Department engaged in an ambitious effort to shut down the drug market in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood. The intervention involved increased police presence in the targeted area alongside a series of targeted "kingpin" sweeps which were intended to remove the most pervasive operators from the market. I employ highly granular Safegraph cell phone location data to track changes in traffic flows between census block groups, observing that the initiative led to sizable and persistent reductions in traffic flows to the target area. Additionally, in contrast to substitution effects observed in other work, I observe that the initiative led to reductions in traffic flows to other regional drug markets and large declines in overdose mortality in the Philadelphia metropolitan area as a whole, suggesting a genuine reduction in the demand for illegal narcotics. With a combination of theory and empirics, I argue that this reduction in regional demand is able to be achieved due to the initiative disrupting a supply-chain that data indicates flows from the target area outwards to smaller satellite markets. Together this all suggests that, despite the inelastic demand for narcotics, regionally linked markets can be impacted broadly by location specific interventions. |
| Keywords: | Drug Markets, Supply Side Enforcement, Cell Phone Locations, Kensington |
| JEL: | K42 R12 I19 H00 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1455&r= |
| By: | Hasan, Amena; Nahar, Kamrun; Akhter, Suraiya |
| Abstract: | This article explores the risks and impacts of cryptocurrency scams on investors, the market, and the global financial system. It emphasizes the need for government regulation, enforcement activities, and consumer education to address these scams. The article also discusses the relationship between the grey economy and the technosocial, highlighting the evolving nature of online and offline life and its implications for criminology. The study uses ethnographic research and participant observation to investigate the cultural context of cryptocurrency frauds. It examines various types of scams, including pump-and-dump schemes, advanced fee frauds, and rug pulls. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of combating cryptocurrency frauds to protect investors, foster technological innovation, and maintain customer trust. |
| Keywords: | Cryptocurrency; scams; risk; blockchain; regulatory; technosocial |
| JEL: | D4 F6 G2 K22 |
| Date: | 2024–01–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:121215&r= |