Pawnshops_final_JLE.pdf (3.99 MB)
The effects of stolen goods markets on crime: pawnshops, property theft, and the gold rush of the 2000s
This paper investigates the effects of stolen-goods markets on crime. I focus on pawnshops, a legitimate business often associated with the illicit trade of stolen property. Within-county estimates reveal that a 10 percent increase in the rate of pawnshops increases, by around .3 percent, the rate of acquisitive crimes that yield stolen goods that might be tradeable to pawnshops. A quasi-experimental design shows that the effects of changes in gold prices on burglaries are amplified by the initial stock of pawnshops in a county. Overall, the analysis suggests that a larger market for the trade of stolen property can affect burglars’ incentives by increasing the value of criminal opportunities.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
The Journal of Law & EconomicsISSN
0022-2186Publisher
University of Chicago PressExternal DOI
Issue
3Volume
63Page range
449-472Department affiliated with
- Economics Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2019-11-28First Open Access (FOA) Date
2021-08-01First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2019-11-27Usage metrics
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