Have you noticed a crime outbreak in your area? Are you worried that your business might be next on the list?
This phenomenon, known as crime displacement, refers to criminals changing the location, target, type, method, or timing of their crimes. It can significantly affect businesses, both directly and indirectly.
In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know about crime displacement, including its types, how it can affect your business, and effective prevention strategies!
But first, let’s define it!
What is crime displacement?
Crime displacement occurs when criminal activity is transferred from one location to another, changes in timing, shifts from one type of target to another, alters methods of committing crimes, or transitions to different types of offenses.
This can happen in response to intensified police presence, environmental changes, or interventions such as police operations!
Crime displacement is also known as the waterbed effect or the crime spill-over effect!
Types of crime displacement:
This displacement or shift in crimes—such as auto theft, theft of auto parts, shoplifting, property damage from graffiti, or vandalism—can occur for various reasons.
Each reason represents a different type of displacement within criminology, reflecting the complex ways that criminals adapt their behavior in response to changing circumstances.
Check out the 6 types of crime displacement:
1. Temporal Displacement:Â
Criminals change the time at which they commit crimes. It’s like when we decide to go to the gas pump later in the evening because the queue is shorter!
Similarly, thieves may decide to commit their crimes at different times of the day, days of the week, perhaps during the holiday season, maybe only in winter, etc.
Examples of temporal displacement:Â
- Robbers often strike during peak business hours to blend into the crowd or late at night when fewer people are around.
- Burglars often target multifamily residential complexes for parcel thefts during the day when residents are away at work.
- Property crimes are maybe more prevalent on weekends or holidays when people are less likely to be home or at work.
- Burglaries often increase during the winter months near christmas when people are gone on holidays.
Temporal displacement can be seen when crime rates rise during certain hours, maybe because security measures are stronger at other times.
2. Spatial displacement:Â
Offenders shift from one location to another. A clear example of spatial displacement is when criminals move their activities to businesses without surveillance cameras.
We can see here the crime hotspots moving from one place to another.
Examples of spatial displacement:
- Following several high-profile burglaries in a luxury condominium with strict access controls, thieves might shift to a nearby mid-rise building without a doorman or security cameras, exploiting the easier access to residents’ units.
- If a busy construction site installs advanced surveillance, criminals might shift their focus to a less monitored residential development nearby, where equipment and materials are left unguarded overnight.
- Criminals may move from a well-lit, monitored parking lot at a busy shopping mall to a dark, isolated lot at a nearby fast-food restaurant that lacks cameras, where vehicles are left unattended for long periods.
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3. Target Displacement:Â
Offenders switch from one type of target to a different type. Target displacement might happen when shoplifters switch from targeting high-end electronics to stealing clothing items due to increased security around the electronics.
4. Tactical Displacement:Â
Offenders modify their methods for committing crimes. Tactical changes happen when criminals adapt to new security measures, such as using alternative tools to disable alarm systems.
Examples of tactical displacement:Â
For example, in a shopping mall, people may switch between techniques once one becomes too obvious, like using booster bags, switching price tags, hiding items in clothing, or running fitting room scams.
5. Offense Displacement:Â
Offenders switch from one form of crime to another. Due to certain police investigations in hot crime areas, offense displacement is evident when criminals are discouraged from one type of crime and resort to another.
Examples of offense displacement:
- In areas with increased police patrols targeting home break-ins, offenders may start engaging in mobile snatching instead.
- The introduction of strict anti-theft measures in retail stores can lead to shoplifters switching to fuel siphoning in shopping center parking lots.
- As security systems in vehicles improve, car thieves may start stealing motorcycles, which often have fewer anti-theft measures.
6. Offender Displacement:Â
New offenders replace old offenders who have been arrested or have stopped committing crimes.
An area can experience various types of crimes (against people, property, or the state) committed by a wide range of offenders.
These offenders may include very young individuals committing petty crimes like shoplifting, auto parts theft, or vandalism.
Adult offenders could be those with prior jail time or members of crime gangs, engaging in a broader range of criminal activities.
Summary of different types of crime displacement:Â
| Form of Displacement | Description | Business Example |
|---|---|---|
| Temporal Displacement | Offenders change the time at which they commit crimes. | A retail store experiences shoplifting during the day. When the store owner hires a team of on-site guards, it prompts shoplifters to target it during off-hours instead. |
| Spatial Displacement | Offenders switch from one location to another. | After increased security at one mall, shoplifters move to a nearby mall with less protection. |
| Target Displacement | Offenders change from one type of target to another type of target. | If CCTV security cameras are installed at cash registers, thieves may start targeting self-checkout kiosks instead. |
| Tactical Displacement | Offenders alter the methods used to commit crimes. | Thieves who used to break windows may switch to lock-picking tools after seeing increased surveillance. |
| Offense Displacement | Offenders switch from one form of crime to another. | A business seeing a reduction in shoplifting might find an increase in credit card fraud instead. |
| Offender Displacement | New offenders replace old offenders who have been arrested or who have stopped committing crime. | A local bar sees a decrease in vandalism after stricter enforcement, only to have new, inexperienced offenders take their place. |
Effects of crime displacement:
Criminals may relocate to different areas where they perceive less risk, often moving from high-security zones to lower-security neighborhoods.
- Crime consolidation: When displaced crime clusters in a new area.
- Crime saturation: When a high concentration of crime occurs in a particular area.
- Crime hot spots: Areas with significantly higher rates of crime than surrounding areas.
When crime is deterred in one location, it may spill over into adjacent areas, creating a ripple effect that affects multiple communities.
The concepts of deterrence and opportunity theory are crucial in understanding these dynamics. Deterrence refers to the effectiveness of security measures in preventing crime, while opportunity theory suggests that criminals are motivated by the availability of targets and the ease of committing crimes.
Additionally, the broken windows theory posits that visible signs of disorder and neglect can lead to increased crime rates, encouraging offenders to take advantage of perceived weaknesses in community vigilance.
Specific areas, often referred to as hot spots, tend to experience higher crime rates. These are critical zones where law enforcement can focus their efforts for maximum impact.
Community policing and targeted enforcement strategies aim to engage local communities and direct law enforcement resources to these high-crime areas, promoting collaboration between police and community members.
How can crime displacement affect businesses?
Crime displacement can significantly impact businesses, leading them to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in various crime mitigation strategies.
The cost of security measures:
These measures often include the installation of security cameras, facial recognition systems, drone surveillance, and GPS tracking.
However, it’s crucial to recognize that many of these strategies are implemented after a crime has occurred, resulting in losses of material goods, property assets, and even customer goodwill.
Case study: Auto dealerships.
For instance, consider an auto dealership concerned about catalytic converter theft. After experiencing theft, they decide to install security cameras in the parking lot.
However, criminals may quickly adapt, noticing the cameras and shifting their focus to other areas of the dealership, such as vandalizing vehicles in less visible spots.
This not only leads to financial losses but can also damage the dealership’s reputation and deter potential customers.
The false sense of security.
Moreover, this cycle of crime displacement can create a false sense of security. Businesses may believe they are effectively protecting themselves, only to find that crime has simply moved to another area.
The ongoing need for investment in security measures can strain budgets and divert resources from other essential business operations.
Proactive security strategies.
Understanding the dynamics of crime displacement is crucial for businesses to develop proactive security strategies that address the root causes of crime rather than merely reacting to its symptoms.
Adaptation of criminal tactics.
Hiring security guards can sometimes lead to crime displacement, where criminals adjust their tactics.
For example, if a security guard patrols at night, thieves might wait until the guard is fatigued or even asleep, potentially striking around 3 AM when vigilance is lower.
Internal displacement.
In a large chain of department stores experiencing high theft rates at checkout points, the installation of security cameras may lead thieves to shift their activities to different locations within the same chain or even to other stores entirely.
Similarly, auto dealerships might experience changes in timing; if thefts are common during the day, criminals may target the dealership late at night or early in the morning when fewer people are around.
Consequences of crime displacement.
- Higher rates of crime-related harm: Increased physical damage to buildings, infrastructure, or personal belongings.
- Economic loss: Financial losses due to theft, vandalism, or business disruption.
- Community fear: Heightened feelings of insecurity and anxiety among residents.
Understanding these dynamics allows businesses to better prepare for and mitigate the effects of crime displacement, ultimately leading to a safer environment for their operations and surrounding communities.
A powerful tool can save businesses from crime displacement – Remote video monitoring!
Remote video monitoring can serve as an effective strategy to displace crime from your business. Why is this the case?
Because it utilizes a suite of advanced video analytics and human intelligence that detect criminal activity and enable swift action before situations escalate.
It’s straightforward: if criminals shift their tactics, AI security cameras can still effectively identify and respond to emerging threats. This proactive approach helps ensure your business remains safe and secure.
Remote video monitoring can cause criminals to change their target location!
Remote video monitoring can deter criminals and potentially prevent crime displacement to your business.
You have invested in top-notch security measures, including AI cameras, perimeter alarms, and sturdy gates. However, even with these precautions, criminals may still attempt to target your property.
When criminals try to enter through the fence or jump over the perimeter, alarms are triggered, scaring them away. Additionally, the CCTV cameras capture their actions, deterring them from future attempts.
Remote Video Monitoring: Detecting All Criminal Targets:
Remote video monitoring offers a suite of advanced analytics and expert operators capable of detecting a wide range of crimes and responding quickly by following each client’s standard procedures.
Even if criminals alter their tactics (shift their targets)—such as sending scouts to observe a target—remote video monitoring remains effective. For example, loitering detection can spot individuals lingering suspiciously around an auto dealership, while license plate recognition can identify unauthorized vehicles entering the parking lot.
Furthermore, remote video monitoring provides round-the-clock surveillance, ensuring your business is safeguarded at all times.
As soon as a threat is detected by the AI-powered cameras, a video alarm is sent to the remote live video monitoring center where diligent operators assess the situation by looking at the footage.Â
Once the threat is confirmed, they follow the security procedure which might include a voice intervention through on-site speakers, calling the police, dispatching security teams, or messaging the business’s security manager.
This can lead to crime displacement, where criminals may target a different business or location.
Conclusion:Â
Crime displacement occurs when criminals change the location, target, type, method, or timing of their crimes.
Criminals continuously adapt their tactics, shift their targets, and alter the times they commit offenses. To effectively combat these threats, businesses must invest in advanced security solutions.
Traditional low-quality security cameras are no longer sufficient to protect against modern criminal activities. A robust remote video surveillance system, equipped with a suite of advanced detection features, is essential.
By monitoring your business in real-time, you can identify suspicious activity and respond promptly. With the ability to intervene via audio warnings or other means, you can deter criminals and potentially prevent crimes before they occur.
Contact us today for a customized security solution for your business.
