Maybe that strip club is good for the neighborhood.

This is the finding from an analysis of New York City crime data out of Princeton University, recently published in the Economic Journal. Over an eight-year period (2004-2012), the adult entertainment business experienced a renaissance, with the number of establishments nearly quadrupling. The researchers found that the opening of an adult entertainment establishment correlated with a reduction in sex crimes by 13% the following week, per police precinct.

The researchers conclude that this reduction “is mostly driven by potential sex offenders frequenting these establishments rather than committing crimes.”

Adult entertainment establishments include strip clubs, escort services, adult bookstores, and adult movie theaters. This study adds to a growing oeuvre of research indicating that a regulated sex industry may decrease sex crimes.

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