Examining Metal Theft in Context: An Opportunity Theory Approach

Although law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and communities have had to confront the issue of increasing metal theft for the past several years, almost no academic literature has attempted to examine the correlates of metal theft and subsequent policy implications. This exploratory study profiles the theft of metal from commercial and residential dwellings through analysis of recorded crime data from April 2008 through July 2010 in Rochester, New York. An opportunity framework guided the analyses. Spatial, trend, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine and better understand metal theft. Results indicate that an opportunity theory approach is useful in addressing metal theft and that this framework provides explicit implications for local law enforcement and policymakers.