A review of the research on weather and crime research and implications for law enforcement operations.

Over the years, research on the effects of weather on crime has evolved from a neglected area of study to a growing subtopic within criminology. The aims of this literature review are to show the evolution of weather and crime research and to theorize the practical applications of their findings for police operations. Nearly 100 journal articles published since 1899 were located from various academic databases and are summarized in a literature review table—separated by types of crime and weather variables—in order to consolidate previous research and identify gaps and concentrations in the literature. A selective review of these findings are provided in order to explore how police agencies can improve scheduling practices, resource allocation, patrol operations, working conditions, community education programs, crime mapping and forecasting techniques, and close by highlighting the impact of global climate change on law enforcement operations in the future.