Arrest Rates during Natural Resource Development: Drilling, Drinking and Disorderly Conduct in the Marcellus Shale Region

Abstract

Increased criminal activity has been linked to rapid natural resource development, particularly in rural areas. These “boomtowns” often experience rapid population growth, resulting in “social disruption”. This research examines one component of social disruption, crime, in the context of unconventional energy development in Pennsylvania. We employ quantitative longitudinal methods to examine the association between county-level arrest rates for four types of minor crimes and unconventional natural gas well density in Pennsylvania from 2005 to 2014 controlling for demographic and socioeconomic variables. Results indicate that well density is positively associated with driving under the influence and disorderly conduct arrest rates, but is not associated with arrest rates for drug abuse violations or public drunkenness. Findings suggest the need to look beyond broad categories of criminal activity to particular types of crime related to energy development, and to what extent these indicate broader patterns of social disruption.

Keywords:

• Boomtown
• crime
• natural resource development
• rural communities
• shale energy

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the following individuals who served on the Marcellus Shale Impacts Study: Kathryn Brasier, Lisa Davis, Anne DeLessio-Parson, Leland Glenna, Timothy Kelsey, Diane McLaughlin, Kai Schafft, Shannon Monnat, Mark Suchyta, Joshua Perchinski, Raeven Chandler.

Additional information

Funding

This project was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. In addition, this paper is adapted from a report that was funded and published by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania (Brasier and Rhubart 2014).