More dogs in a neighbourhood reduces crime rate, deters criminals: Study

Humans and dogs have had a very close relationship since a long time now While some people keep them because of their love for animals there are others who keep them to protect any kind of house or property In a study conducted in Columbus researchers have found proof for the latter They have found that the localities or neighborhoods that have more number of dogs had lower rates of murder robbery and to a lesser extent aggravated assaults compared to areas with fewer dogs This was found at least in areas where residents also had higher levels of trust in each otherThe results published recently in the journal Social Forces suggest that people walking their dogs puts more eyes on the street which can discourage crime said Nicolo Pinchak lead author of the study and a doctoral student in sociology at The Ohio State UniversityPeople walking their dogs are essentially patrolling their neighborhoods Pinchak said They see when things are not right and when there are suspect outsiders in the area It can be a crime deterrentSociologists have long theorised that a combination of mutual trust and local surveillance among residents of a neighborhood can deter criminals said study coauthor Christopher Browning a professor of sociology at Ohio StateWatch now Inside Mumbairsquos Dog Cuddling Centre Cute Moments Cuddling DogsBut there hasnt been a good measure of how residents provide surveillance of neighborhood streets We thought that dog walking probably captures that pretty well which is one reason why we decided to do this study Browning saidFor the study researchers looked at crime statistics from 2014 to 2016 for 595 census block groups the equivalent of neighborhoods in the Columbus areaThey obtained survey data from a marketing firm that asked Columbus residents in 2013 if they had a dog in their householdFinally they used data from the Adolescent Health and Development in Context study which Browning runs to measure trust in individual neighborhoods As part of that study residents were asked to rate how much they agreed that people on the streets can be trusted in their neighborhoodsAlso Read The pedigree problem Herersquos how the fixation with purebred pets harms animalsResearch has shown that trust among neighbors is an important part of deterring crime because it suggests residents will help each other when facing a threat and have a sense of collective efficacy that they can have a positive impact on their area Pinchak saidResults of this study showed as expected that neighborhoods with high levels of trust had lower levels of homicide robbery and aggravated assaults when compared to neighborhoods with low levels of trustBut among hightrust neighborhoods those with high concentrations of dogs showed an additional drop in crime compared to those with low concentrations of dogsAmong the hightrust neighborhoods neighborhoods high in dog concentration had about twothirds the robbery rates of those low in dog concentration and about half the homicide rates the study found It really has to do with the dog walking Pinchak saidTrust doesnt help neighborhoods as much if you dont have people out there on the streets noticing what is going on Thats what dog walking does Pinchak stated And thats why dogs have a crimefighting advantage over cats and other pets that dont need walkingWatch now Pet Loverrsquos Shanty In Chembur Home To 30 CatsWhen people are out walking their dogs they have conversations they pet each others dogs Sometimes they know the dogs name and not even the owners They learn whats going on and can spot potential problemsResults showed that the trust and dogwalking combination helped reduce street crimes those crimes like homicides and robberies that tend to occur in public locations including streets and sidewalksThe study found that more dogs in a neighborhood was also related to fewer property crimes like burglaries irrespective of how much residents trust each other Pinchak saidThats because barking and visible dogs can keep criminals away from buildings where the dogs are found and neighborhood trust and surveillance is not needed as a factor as it is in street crimesThe protective effect of dogs and trust was found even when a wide range of other factors related to crime was taken into account including the proportion of young males in the neighborhood residential instability and socioeconomic statusOverall the results suggest that it is beneficial to have a lot of trust in your neighbors to prevent crime particularly if you add a lot of dogs and dog walkersThere has already been a lot of research that shows dogs are good for the health and wellbeing of their human companions Pinchak said Our study adds another reason why dogs are good for usThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or 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