Quantifying the Relationship between Urban Form, Crime and Police Activity

• In Event: Crime and Place: Police at the Micro Level

Abstract

That the street network should play a role in shaping the distribution of crime is predicted by several theories of environmental criminology, such as routine activity theory and pattern theory. In general terms, these theories suggest that parts of the network which are either more accessible or have greater potential for use will experience greater victimization, by virtue of the greater frequency with which criminal opportunities are encountered. Although previous studies have supported this hypothesis, the relationship between the network properties measured and the relevant underlying theory is typically somewhat opaque. In this work, we apply graph-theoretic metrics which can be linked explicitly to theory and which offer a significantly more objective and granular quantification than those considered previously. By applying this to data from London, we examine the relationship between network characteristics and the occurrence of several types of recorded crime, finding that more central streets do indeed experience higher levels of crime. In addition, we also consider the locations of police activity, again finding significant association with network properties. These findings offer support for place- and opportunity-based theories of crime, and demonstrate the usefulness of network-based methods as a means of quantifying urban form.

Authors

• Toby Davies, University College London

• Kate Jane Bowers, University College London