This study analyzed crime rates at two levels to understand if a correlation existed.
These two levels were:
- Microgeography (Within Chicago)
- City Level

Air Pollutions Effect on Crime Rates 

In Chicago, Herrnstadt et al. compared two sides of the highway, and based on the wind's direction, one side would experience more pollution than the other. Therefore Herrnstadt et. al could compare each side's crime rates with the direction of the wind to account for underlying variables and establish a causal relationship between crime and air pollution

Ohio State University, Columbus

Air pollution imposes both market and non-market costs on society. **Market costs** include health expenditures, reductions in labor productivity, and lower agricultural yields. **Non-market costs** encompass the disutility of illness, increased mortality rates, and heightened levels of crime.

Costs of Air Pollution

Herrnstadt, E., &amp; Muehlegger, E. (2015, December 14). Air Pollution and Criminal Activity: Evidence from Chicago Microdata. NBER. https://www.nber.org/papers/w21787. 

Air Pollution and Criminal Activity: Evidence from Chicago Microdata Citation

Pollution causes an increase in violent crimes, specifically in aggravated battery. 
This increase in violent crimes is estimated to be between 1.8 and 81.1 million dollars per year, depending on whether the increase in violent crime is driven by aggravated battery (1.8 million dollars) or murder (81.1 million dollars). The answer is likely somewhere in the middle.

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