OCCASIONAL CRIMINALITY AND STREET CRIME DURING ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS EVENTS: A STUDY OF LAHORE, PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study attempts to analyze the pattern of street crimes during major religious events in Lahore, Pakistan such as Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Eid Milad-un-Nabi. It examines the impact of crowd size, police presence, informal social control, and religious involvement on opportunities for crime through the lens of Routine Activity Theory, Crime Pattern Theory, Social Disorganization Theory, and Situational Crime Prevention. Police records, surveys, observations and GIS based hotspot mapping were used to develop an explanatory design, quantitative approach. Descriptive statistics, correlation, regression and spatial analysis were the statistical analysis used. The results show that, during religious events, there is an amount of street crime that is significantly lower than during non-event times. More police officers and community guardianship were the most effective deterrent of crime, with opportunities for minor crimes being largely counteracted by increased surveillance. The research emphasizes the importance of collective guardianship in the context of religion services. This paper examines the concept of guardianship, which is a crucial factor in the street crimes committed in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, and also investigates the patterns of street crimes during the time of Islamic religious events through the perspective of routine activity theory and crime pattern theory.