Document Type
Working Paper
Publication Date
2016
College/Unit
Chambers College of Business and Economics
Document Number
16-02
Department/Program/Center
Economics
Abstract
We empirically explore the relationship between the National Football League (NFL) and crime using daily panel data from Detroit. We exploit the natural experiment of the Detroit Lions movement from Pontiac MI to downtown Detroit in 2002 to examine the impact of NFL games on crime in a jurisdiction. Pontiac is used as a treatment city and other suburban cities are used as a comparison group. Employing a triple difference-in-difference approach, we find little to no change in crime on a home game day in Pontiac compared to other suburban cities. There is no difference in crime between the football season and off-season, among the groups, after the Lions moved. While not conclusive, our results are suggestive that professional football does not create additional crime except for larceny.
Digital Commons Citation
Pyun, Hyunwoong and Hall, Joshua C., "Does the Presence of Professional Football Cause Crime in a City? Evidence from Pontiac, Michigan" (2016). Economics Faculty Working Papers Series. 186.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/econ_working-papers/186