Oil, Crime, and Disorder: A Methodological Examination of the Oil Boom’s Impact in North Dakota

ABSTRACT

This article examines the impact the oil boom has had on crime and disorder in North Dakota. Particular attention is paid to the methods used to analyze these impacts. Several quantitative analyses, including t-tests and regressions, were performed and critiqued. Overall, few significant relationships were found that could link the oil boom to increases in crime and disorder. In addition, this article introduces location quotients as an alternative method to examine crime and disorder in boomtown settings. The results suggest that the impact of the boom was localized in that different counties experienced differential crime and disorder impacts.

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Christopher D. O’Connor

CHRISTOPHER D. O’CONNOR is an Assistant Professor of Criminology at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Calgary. His research interests include examining the social impacts of boomtowns, police use of technology and engagement with the public, and young people’s school-to-work transitions and involvement in crime.