The effect of the 2011 London riots on crime, policing and unemployment

Using street level crime data for London from December 2010 to March 2012 merged with detailed information on crimes committed during the 2011 London riots, I show that crime in areas affected by the riots fell considerably in the months following the riots. I also investigate two potentials channels through which the riots might have influenced future crime rates, specifically unemployment and changes in police deployment. The results suggest increases in unemployment in the affected areas and no change in police deployment in the months after the riots, suggesting that crime fell for other reasons.