To tent and protect: Homeless encampments as “protective facilities”

Abstract

Post COVID-19, visible homelessness in the form of encampments has grown in cities across North America. Often these encampments are stereotyped as posing health and safety risks. In response to public outcry, many of these encampments have been forcefully removed by city employees and police. However, it is unclear if encampments are criminogenic or simply create that perception. In this study, we use encampment data collected by the City of Brantford (2023) and calls for service and incident data from the Brantford Police Service (2015–2022) to determine if the emergence of encampments results in an increase in crime and disorder in the surrounding areas. We use Thiessen Polygons to approximate encampment area influence. We then analyze changes in crime patterns over time in these areas using a structural break test, from the point of encampment emergence, to determine if encampments significantly increase the likelihood of crime and disorder as compared to previous years in the same areas. Findings suggest that encampments follow the same criminogenic place patterns of other types of facilities. Implications for policy are discussed.