Final answer:
Matthew's observation of crime rate changes in two neighborhoods suggests crime displacement, where crime prevention efforts in one area may shift criminal activity to surrounding areas. Social Disorganization Theory provides insight on how neighborhood characteristics can influence crime rates, indicating the importance of underlying community dynamics in understanding crime patterns.
Step-by-step explanation:
Matthew is observing a phenomenon where crime rates dropped in one neighborhood after the implementation of a community-based crime prevention program but increased in a nearby neighborhood. This type of finding is known as crime displacement, which refers to the relocation of criminal activity from one area to another, often as a result of targeted crime prevention efforts in the original area.
Considering the Social Disorganization Theory, crime is not randomly distributed; it often follows patterns based on neighborhood characteristics. Factors such as poverty, residential mobility, and ethnic heterogeneity can predict higher crime rates because they affect the community's ability to exercise social control and influence potential offenders.
The theory suggests that when neighborhoods exhibit these characteristics, the likelihood of crimes occurring is higher. Therefore, the changes observed by Matthew in crime rates could also be indicative of underlying social dynamics as described by this theory.
Effective policing strategies, including targeted foot patrols, community-oriented policing, and improvements to street lighting, have been shown to reduce crime rates. However, the spatial shift of crime—as might be seen in Matthew's study—indicates that while one area may benefit from such interventions, other areas might experience an unintended increase in criminal activity.