Mapping the Fear of Crime Experience Dynamically in Place and Time Across the Whole-Journey Environment

• In Event: Crime and Place: Crime and Transport

Abstract

Perception of security largely influence people’s experiences with all forms of transport, be it public, private, walking or cycling, and has knock on effects on transport mode choice, as well as the accessibility and walkability of an area. It is therefore important to gather accurate spatial and temporal information of when and where people feel unsafe within the whole journey environment, to precisely identify problem areas. Currently, fear of crime information is collected using retrospective surveys, which result in inaccurate measures that aggregate experiences into generalised worries, and tie geographic location statically to area of residence. To correctly identify ‘fear hotspots’ dynamically in place and time, experience-sampling method can be applied to a mobile phone application that utilises inbuilt sensors to collect GPS and time-stamp data while surveying people about their perceptions. This study presents findings about people’s everyday experiences with fear of crime in London by applying this novel approach to measuring dynamic events on the move as they happen. Implications for targeting preventative interventions effectively to improve perceptions of safety and security in the whole journey environment will be explored, and avenues for further research on this new approach to studying fear of crime will be discussed.

Authors

• Reka Solymosi, University College London Jill Dando Institute

• Taku Fujiyama, University College London

• Kate Jane Bowers, University College London