Crime and disorder in resource-based boom communities has captured the public’s interest for over a century. One of the first widely reported examples was the violence and disorder occurring after the 1849 boom in the California goldfields. Since that time, there has been increasing awareness of the adverse impacts of resource extraction on the quality of life in rural communities throughout the world. This is a significant issue as the exploration and extraction of commodities is increasing in response to a growing demand for cheap energy and the changing needs of the green economy. Although the magnitude and duration of every boom differs, the criminogenic impacts of rapid population growth and industrialization in sparsely populated rural communities has gained considerable scholarly attention.

Life course of resource-based booms

Ruddell and Ray (2018) describe how resource-based booms have a life course. As local populations grow, there is a corresponding reduction in informal social control and a rise in social disorder as the population swells with newcomers who are predominately young men with little stake in these communities. A lack of safe and affordable housing is often the first social problem to emerge, although local health, education and social services are also overwhelmed with demands for service. Local justice systems are often stretched thin by the rising demands on their services, and the thresholds for arrest and detention increase, reducing their deterrent effects. Substance abuse, the exodus of older established residents and homelessness all increase, as do environmental impacts such as air, light, noise and water pollution. Along with those environmental and social problems comes an increase in crime, although the forms and volume of crime differ for each boom location.

Over 40 different studies published between 1976 and 2020 clearly establish that crimes increase after a boom beyond what can be expected with the rise in population. The social impacts and types of crimes increasing after a boom depend on the characteristics of a boom and the stage of the extractive activities. Some oil and gas booms, for instance, are spread about a large geographical area whilst others, such as a mine or energy development project, are confined to a single epicenter.