NCJ Number
185541
Date Published
January 2000
Length
50 pages
Annotation
This chapter provides an illustrative context for its main focus,
i.e., spatial statistical analyses of crime data, with emphasis
on pragmatic concerns about how these analyses are best
implemented.
Abstract
The new century brings with it increasing interest in crime
places. This interest spans theory from the perspective of
understanding the etiology of crime, as well as practice from the
perspective of developing effective criminal justice
interventions to reduce crime. The authors do not attempt a
comprehensive treatment of the substantial body of theoretical
and empirical research on place and crime but focus instead on
methodological issues in spatial statistical analyses of crime
data. Special attention is given to some practical and accessible
methods of exploratory data analysis that arguably should be the
starting place of any empirical analyses of the relationship of
place to crime. Many of the capabilities to support computerized
mapping and spatial statistical analyses emerged only recently
during the 1990's. The promise of using spatial data and analyses
for crime control still remains to be demonstrated and depends on
the nature of the relationship between crime and place. If
spatial features serve as actuating factors for crime, because of either the people or the facilities located there, then
interventions designed to alter those persons and activities
might well affect crime. Alternatively, if the spatial
distribution of crime is essentially random, then targeting
specific places is not likely to be an effective crime-control
strategy. Sorting out the place/crime relationship requires
analytical methods that are best suited to isolating the impacts
of place on crime. 1 exhibit, 39 notes, and 201 references
Date Published: January 1, 2000