8. Explaining Boomtown Effects

This chapter provides some explanations as to why crime increases after a resource-based boom occurs. Of special interest is addressing why some boomtowns experience a much higher volume and seriousness of crime than others. In order to explain the variation in the distribution of crime, a number of theories that explain the impacts of rapid population growth are described. Traditional theories of crime, however, do not fully explain this variation because they fail to take into account political and economic forces or issues related to social class, masculinity, and inequality. The chapter ends with a discussion about the characteristics of the newcomer populations (what some have called the “people pollution” problem), and how the nature of the newcomer’s or transient population’s work influences their community involvement. Last, the issue of community conflict (between newcomers and established residents) and groups of long-term residents is described.