Abstract

A study by Bondy, Roth, and Sager (2020) uncovers a significant link between air pollution and crime rates in London. Drawing on more than 1.8 million crime records from 2004–2005 and high-resolution pollution data from 96 monitoring stations, the authors demonstrate that short-term increases in air pollution correspond to measurable rises in criminal activity—even at levels considered safe by existing regulatory standards.