Insiders, Outsiders and Temporal Patterns in Offending

• In Event: Crime and Place: Interactions between People and Places

Abstract

This paper follows recent trends in criminology and crime science by looking at patterns that can be revealed using micro-level spatio-temporal analysis. Routine activity theory and crime pattern theory link the spatial pattern of offending to places that individual frequent and are familiar with. For example, offence location is known to be associated with location of residence and work-place. What has been explored to a lesser extent (empirically at least) is the degree to which the change in the most probable location of offenders over the course of the day links to the change in spatial distributions of offences. We undertake a preliminary analysis here using a subset of burglary data from Dorset, UK where the time of offence is fairly accurate and the offender’s home location is known. We use a simple definition- a burglary is committed by an ‘insider’ when it is committed within 1km of an offender’s residential address, with all other offences categorised as ‘outsider’ offences. Result show interesting variations- that night-time offences in residential areas are more likely to be committed by insiders than those occurring at other times in the day. This result does not hold true for commercial areas. This is a good illustration that offender’s choices could well be influenced strongly by where they happen to be at a particular time due to their routines and lays out a good argument for further exploration of the concept of time-sensitive maps of offenders’ awareness spaces.

Authors

• Kate Jane Bowers, University College London

• Shane Johnson, University College London