Air pollution, weather, and violent crimes: Concomitant time-series analysis of archival data.

Archival data covering a 2-yr period were obtained from 3 sources to assess relations among ozone levels, meteorological conditions, day of the week, holidays, seasonal trends, family disturbances, and assaults against persons. Sources for the data were (1) logged calls to police for assistance in assaults and other family and household disturbances, (2) 1-hr readings for ozone by an environmental protection agency, and (3) meteorological conditions published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which included percentage of sunshine; 24-hr averages for temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, and wind speed; fog; thunderstorms; and smoke/haze. More family disturbances were recorded when ozone levels were high than when they were low. Two-stage regression analyses indicated that disturbances and assaults were also positively correlated with daily temperatures and negatively correlated with wind speed and levels of humidity. Analyses indicated that high temperatures and low winds preceded violent episodes, which occurred more often on dry than humid days. Assaults followed complaints about family disturbances, which suggests that the latter could be used to predict and lessen physical violence. It is concluded that atmospheric conditions and violent episodes are not only correlated but also appear to be linked in a causal fashion. (65 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)