Economics of crime in Republic of Ireland - exploratory paper

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility of applying models developed elsewhere to an analysis of rising crime rates in Ireland. In particular, it seeks to establish optimal levels for expenditure on controlling crime against property, with and without violence. The analysis shows that the necessary conditions for optimality cannot be assumed to hold in the Irish case. All four equations estimated suggest that crime does not pay. However, the analysis also indicates that rising unemployment will be associated with an increase in crimes against property with violence, and with a decrease in crimes against property without violence. It is not inconceivable that rises in unemployment may cause transfers between crime categories.