Considers urban crime rates in relation to the use of sports-based programs in communities. Crime prevention programs, such as “midnight basketball,” are popular because they are inexpensive, easy to implement, and based upon the popular notion that athletics may facilitate positive social change. Yet, scholarly evidence is scarce substantiating a link between crime reduction and sports programs. Violent incident reporting and property crime data were lower in the 29 cities where “midnight basketball” programs were active between 1985 and 2001. These findings do not confirm a direct causal effect, but sports- or recreation-based activities are part of a comprehensive community-based program to reduce crime.
