Empirical evidence reveals that unemployment tends to increase property crime but that it has no effect on violent … crime. To explain these facts, we examine a model of criminal gangs and suggest that there is a substitution effect between … property crime and violent crime at work. In the model, non-monetary valuation of gang membership is private knowledge. Thus …

double dividend in that it reduces both minor offenses and more severe crime. We develop a model of criminal subcultures in … attractive for some people who would otherwise commit more severe crime. If social status is sufficiently important in criminal … subcultures, zero-tolerance reduces crime across the board …

This paper analyzes private precautions against crime when the value of the property to be protected is private … information. Within a framework in which potential criminals can choose between various crime opportunities, we establish that …