The Effect of COVID 19 on Crime

In this project we seek to understand the effect that COVID-19 related lockdowns have had on criminal activity in Tamil Nadu, India. The study intends to provide insights into the motivators and enablers for criminal behaviour by dissecting the period between March to August 2020, as periods of no lockdown, partial lockdown and complete lockdown. By overlaying the trends in COVID-19 positive cases and fatalities, we can differentiate between the effect of human fear towards contraction of the disease versus government imposed restrictions. The study intends breakdown criminal activity across the different types of crime (theft, harassment, manslaughter, etc.) and understand if the changes witnessed show any possible similarities or differences. The study also plans to understand the differences between distress calls versus registered crime. While difference between these reporting and registrations is well established across different crime types, to understand if these change during lockdowns may through some light on how restricted mobility plays a role in affecting these two aspects. This is expected to help us better understand why exactly the disparity between reporting and registration exists in the first place.