VIOLENT CRIME AND ALCOHOL AVAILABILITY - RELATIONSHIPS IN AN URBAN-COMMUNITY

The relationship between violent crime, neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics, and alcohol outlet densities in Newark, New Jersey is reported, thus extending previous research of municipalities at more refined levels of analysis. Alcohol outlet densities were significant predictors in regression models, but rates of violent crime were bette r predicted in larger units (R-2 = .673 for the census tract level vs. .543 at the census block group level). Alcohol outlet densities, howe ver, were more predictive of violent crime at smaller units of analysi s (change in R-2 with the addition of alcohol outlet densities was .19 4 at the census tract level vs. .278 at the census block group level). Findings suggest that alcohol outlets represent a form of ''undesirab le land use'' in urban neighborhoods that are a manifestation of incre asingly concentrated economic disadvantage in the United States.