Urban encroachment brings deviant behavior to resource recreation areas

The encroachment of urban areas on resource recreation areas has added several challenges to resource and recreation managers. Unfortunately, Chavez and Tynon (2000) indicated one of the impacts of urban encroachment on natural resource areas is an increase in crime. Given that with urban encroachment comes a heightened perception of crime (Chavez & Tynon 2000, Wynveen et al. 2005), this study's purpose was to identify specific crimes which were perceived by park rangers to occur with a varying frequency depending on the proximity of the respondent's park to an urban area. Study results indicated that urban encroachment is correlated with the perceptions of crime in a resource area. Burglary, arson, motor vehicle theft, homicide, and vandalism are crimes perceived to occur more frequently in parks closer to urban areas. In contrast, wildlife poaching and artifact theft were significant crimes perceived to occur more often in parks farther from urban centers.