Testing the Law of Crime Concentrations in the European Context

• In Event: The Concentration of Violence in Local Areas

Abstract

There is evidence that crime is concentrated at just a small number of micro places in a city. Sherman, Gartin, and Buerger found that 3.5% of the addresses in Minneapolis produced 50% of all calls to the police, whereas Weisburd, Bushway, Lum and Yang reported that between 4 and 5% of street segments in Seattle accounted for 50% of crime incidents. Starting from these findings, in “The Criminology of Place”, Weisburd, Groff and Yang raise the question of whether there is a law of crime concentrations at places applicable not only across time but across cities. Taking into account these considerations, Weisburd and Amram published a study that confirmed the presence of a law of crime concentrations in Tel Aviv-Jaffa pointing out how in the Israeli city about 4.5% of the street segments produced approximately 50% of crime. The theory has not been tested in Europe, even though a study on street violence in Rotterdam seems to present similar findings in terms of crime concentrations. Starting from these experiences, this paper aims at testing the law of crime concentrations in the European context. Preliminary results on a street segments analysis of the city of Milan are in line with previous findings.

Author

• Serena Favarin, Università Cattolica - Transcrime