@article{Imelda:319241,
      recid = {319241},
      author = {Imelda and Guo, Xiaoying},
      title = {Crime in the dark role of electricity rationing},
      publisher = {Graduate Institute of International and Development  Studies, International Economics Department},
      address = {Geneva. 2024},
      number = {BOOK},
      series = {Graduate Institute of International and Development  Studies Working Paper ; no. 18/2024},
      pages = {25 pages : illustrations},
      year = {2024},
      abstract = {In many developing and emerging economies, frequent power  outages are often a consequence of electricity rationing,  stemming from the insufficient generation capacity to meet  peak demand. In an effort to minimize the disruption caused  by sudden power outages, utilities often implement  scheduled outages to allow consumers to prepare. However,  these planned outages may inadvertently influence criminal  behavior and planning. This study investigates the causal  relationship between planned electricity outages and crime  rates, leveraging a geographic discontinuity in outage  duration due to differences in electricity suppliers within  the City of Cape Town, South Africa. We compare crime  trends in areas served by the municipal grid, which  benefits from pumped hydro storage to mitigate outages,  with those served by the national grid, where outages are  more severe. We find that 10 hours per month more outages  lead to an increase of 2.6 percent or eight more crime  incidents. The analysis reveals that while overall crime  rates are affected, specific types of crime, such as  robbery, theft, and violent crime, are particularly  sensitive to power outages. Outages caused by electricity  rationing create opportunities for certain types of  criminal activity, particularly at night. The larger the  share of areas affected by severe load shedding, the higher  the incidence of crime. Conversely, crimes less related to  load shedding, such as commercial and drug-related  offenses, are not affected by these outages.This research  contributes to the growing body of evidence on the  socioeconomic consequences of power outages and highlights  the importance of reliable electricity access for public  safety and development.},
      url = {http://repository.graduateinstitute.ch/record/319241},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.71609/iheid-5esy-7q87},
}