Criminals prefer to do their work when it is dark. Therefore both natural daylight and artificial night light could deter potential offenders by increasing the risk that they will be caught. Are the two sources of light substitutes in crime deterrence?
My thesis revisits the effect of light on crime by pairing detailed data on criminal acts with the amount of artificial nightlight in the location where the crime occurred. I then estimate the size of changes in criminal activity around Daylight Savings Time in places with high and low artificial night light.
