Spatial Association Between Dog Ownership and Crime Rate in New York City

Abstract

This paper identifies the spatial relationship between dog ownership and the property crime rate in New York City. This zip-code level study reveals that the dog ownership rate in 2019 positively correlates with the crime rate in past three years (2016-2018). It also finds that areas with high poverty rates, high proportions of Asian and Black people, and larger households (more than two) have lower dog-ownership rates than their counterparts. Areas with denser sidewalks also correlate with high dog-ownership rates. The finding underscores the role of dogs in increasing the feeling of safety in high crime rate areas.