Conference papers

On markets of public safety

Carlos Carcach
Australian Institute of Criminology

Presented at:
Criminology in the twenty-first century : public good or private interest? : 15th annual ANZSOC conference
University of Melbourne, Melbourne
21-23 February 2001

Abstract

The concept of public safety is analyzed within an economic framework. The paper discusses the role that factors such as residential stability, education, socioeconomic disadvantage and income inequality play in shaping the demand for public safety, via current levels of crime. These factors contribute to the formation and preservation of social trust, inclusiveness, voluntary cooperation, restraint, poverty and inequality among the members of communities. Communities with low levels of social capital tend to experience high levels of crime which increases demand for public safety in the form of imposed or enforced law and order. These ideas are tested by fitting a model to data for Local Government Areas in the mainland Eastern Australian states.

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