Abstract
The routine activity approach and associated crime pattern theory emphasise how crime emerges from spatio-temporal routines. In order to understand this crime should be studied in both space and time. However, the bulk of research into crime patterns and related activities has investigated the spatial distributions of crime, neglecting the temporal dimension. Specifically, disaggregation of crime by place and by time, for example hour of day, day of week, month of year, season, or school day versus none school day, is extremely relevant to theory. Modern data make such spatio-temporal disaggregation increasingly feasible, as exemplified in this special issue. First, much larger data files allow disaggregation of crime data into temporal and spatial slices. Second, new forms of data are generated by modern technologies, allowing innovative and new forms of analyses. Crime pattern analyses and routine activity inquiries are now able to explore avenues not previously available. The unique collection of nine papers in this thematic issue specifically examine spatio-temporal patterns of crime to; demonstrate the value of this approach for advancing knowledge in the field; consider how this informs our theoretical understanding of the manifestations of crime in time and space; to consider the prevention implications of this; and to raise awareness of the need for further spatio-temporal research into crime events.
Highlights
The distribution of crime is not random in time and space. Explanations for this are grounded in routine activities theory (Cohen and Felson 1979) and crime pattern theory (Brantingham and Brantingham 1981)
In ‘simple’ terms; the occurrence of a crime requires the juxtaposition of motivated offenders and suitable targets, a situation constrained in time and space. These constraints are defined by an offenders and victims use of time and space, as their activities are bounded by the need to eat, sleep, work, or for recreational activity. These activities can only occur at a finite number of locations and times; and, that the movement of offenders and victims is not compulsive, but structured, regulated by the daily routines of offenders and victims, and the social and physical environments within which they interact (Brantingham and Brantingham 2013)
Whilst the data does not enable a micro-level break down of crime in time and place, the results reveal that daily visitors have a significant impact on violence and property crime distributions compared to residents. This suggests that daily spatio-temporal shifts have a greater influence than fixed residential factors in the distribution of crime opportunities over urban space
Summary
The distribution of crime is not random in time and space. Explanations for this are grounded in routine activities theory (Cohen and Felson 1979) and crime pattern theory (Brantingham and Brantingham 1981). Some key goals are; to raise awareness of the need for more of this type of research; to promote the value of this in advancing knowledge in the field; to inform our theoretical understanding of the manifestation of crime in time and space; to investigate how opportunities for crime are constrained by the routines and movements of offenders and victims and the social and physical environments they interact with; and to consider the prevention implications of this spatio-temporal approach. Whilst the data does not enable a micro-level break down of crime in time and place, the results reveal that daily visitors have a significant impact on violence and property crime distributions compared to residents This suggests that daily spatio-temporal shifts have a greater influence than fixed residential factors in the distribution of crime opportunities over urban space. Micro spatio-temporal crime settings Following on from this four papers
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