Weather and Crime the effects of Climate Change

Weather and Crime: The effect of the weather on anti-social behaviour has received a lot of attention in recent times. It has been argued that there is always motives for this type of behaviour that takes place. It could be personal enmity, hatred or a hunderd other reasons why people commit these offensive acts. Police collect every minute detail during the investigation for a possible clues to identify the culprit and the motivation for the offence. However, did you know there is also research that suggests there may be other reasons why people commit offences. This reseach has suggested that the weather may have an affect on the way people behave in society.

Various weather conditions such as Heatwaves , high humidity, wind, pollution of the air and water along with over crowded living conditions can greatly influence the numbers of incidences that occur. A number of weather-related crime studies in France, the UK and US have suggested that assaults, particularly domestic violence, murder, robbery and suicide were high following high temperature associated with the combination of other meteorological parameters.

If the results of these studies on weather and crime are correct then police, instead of responding after an offence is committed, can greatly help to prevent the crime. This also highlights the role of criminologists, environmentalists, geographers and meteorologists apart from the other sciences now have in helping combat the social conditions that we may find ourselves living under. Many have argued that we have to take proactive measures with cooperation from the police to minimise the occurrence of all offences in vulnerable areas by implementing various community-based development programmes and other eco-friendly practices like creation of green belts in the high temperature areas, enforcing tougher laws for industrial discharge (air and water), restriction on density of human settlement, etc. Such initiatives will greatly improve living conditions and hopefully improve our environment and lives.