University of Sussex
Browse
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

Download (3.99 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 19:47 authored by Rocco D'EsteRocco D'Este
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 & Economics

ISSN

0022-2186

Publisher

University of Chicago Press

Issue

3

Volume

63

Page range

449-472

Department affiliated with

  • Economics Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-11-28

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2021-08-01

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-11-27

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC