There is a well-established link between alcohol and crime. While alcohol, when consumed in moderation, may not cause harm, when someone is allowed to get intoxicated, problems can occur, whether it is in a public or private space. According to the people at the Alcohol Rehab Guide, alcohol will impair a person’s judgement, lower inhibitions, and increase the risk of aggressive behaviours. Prolonged or binge drinking also increases the chances of someone committing a crime. Crimes that are associated to be influenced by alcohol tend to be violent in nature, such as assaults, robberies, and so on.
For my research, I will be focusing on alcoholism in a public setting, such as in alcohol establishments, public drinking areas, and so on. I want to know where public intoxication is likely happening in Vancouver. To determine where potential public intoxication incidents will take place, I will use crime statistics to act as a proxy to determine these locations. So this study will be focusing on public intoxication and the crimes that can potentially occur as a result.
For my data, I will primarily be working with crime data from the Vancouver Police Department, looking at crimes that occurred in 2021. However, due to data limitations, this research focuses on break-and-enters and mischief crimes in Vancouver. In addition to crime data, I will be looking at where alcohol establishments are located throughout the city.
For my research I have a few goals in mind:
- Establish what links exist between alcohol establishments and crime
- What other factors can help explain crime patterns
- How other factors influence alcohol consumption in Vancouver