The Geospatial Pattern of Sites in Kidnappings for Ransom

• In Event: Situational and Routine Activities Explanations of Violent Criminal Behvior

Abstract

Kidnapping for ransom is most common in developing countries with weak law enforcement agencies, a condition that allows it to thrive as a lucrative criminal enterprise, attractive for organized crime groups and terrorist organizations. Research on the topic, however, is scarce. The relative infrequency of kidnapping for ransom in industrialized nations has limited the amount of criminological inquiries devoted to it. The current study investigates kidnapping for ransom from an environmental criminology perspective, employing the theoretical premises behind geographic profiling to understand the geospatial patterns of abduction, captivity, and release sites in kidnappings perpetrated in El Salvador, Central America between 2000-2005. Official records on 79 kidnappings for ransom were examined to extract geographical coordinates for each site type. Distances and polygon angles between locations were calculated for every offense and, consequently, analyzed. Results indicate that the spatial distribution of sites in kidnapping for ransom is not random, it follows a pattern that persists in different types of areas. The practical relevance of the study’s findings and the direction of future research on kidnapping for ransom, are discussed.

Authors

• Carlos E. Ponce, Simon Fraser University

• Martin A Andresen, Simon Fraser University