Amenities and crime: What is the association of amenities with crime in urban areas of Cuenca, Ecuador?

Abstract

The study of crime and its associated factors is fundamental to improving the well-being of a society. In this context, this study aimed to understand the influence of amenities on crime in the urban areas of Cuenca (Ecuador). To this purpose, data was obtained from public entities and Google Places API. The empirical strategy employed involved the estimation of a set of spatial econometric models. The results show that amenities have an attractor effect on crime, thus reflecting that criminals act in places where there is a large accumulation of people. It was also found that the presence of government entities has no effect on crime.