As global temperatures climb, warmer winters in parts of the country may set the scene for higher rates of violent crimes such as assault and robbery, according to a new CIRES study.
“During mild winters, more people are out and about, creating the key ingredient for interpersonal crimes: opportunity,” said Ryan Harp, a CIRES/CU Boulder Ph.D. student and lead author of the study published in the AGU's cross-disciplinary journal, GeoHealth.