Theoretical Foundations of Crime Analysis Crime Mapping Week

Theoretical Foundations of Crime Analysis Crime Mapping Week 2, Day 1

AGENDA Intro to final projects Environmental vs Traditional Criminology Rational Choice Theory Routine Activities Theory

Environmental Criminology “Traditional” criminology tries to explain root causes of crime – why people become “criminals” Micro level: individual characteristics higher individual criminality Macro level: structural factors high rates of crime in an area/population Some theories work on both micro and macro levels.

Environmental Criminology Environmental criminology focuses on aspects of where crime occurs. Setting: a location for recurrent use, for particular activity, at known times (Felson, 2006), e. g. : Public parks Basketball courts Malls Private homes

Environmental Criminology Environmental criminology focuses on aspects of where crime occurs. Setting: a location for recurrent use, for particular activity, at known times (Felson, 2006), e. g. : Public parks Basketball courts Settings create opportunities for crimes to occur in a systematic way. Malls Private homes

Environmental Criminology Environmental criminologists have different theories of how settings provide opportunities for crime. Theory: An explanation of something – usually a cause-effect explanation. Theories help us understand explain crime. We do research to test theories to see if our results support or do not support a theoretical explanation.

Environmental Criminology The law of crime concentration: “For a defined measure of crime at a specific microgeographic unit, the concentration of crime will fall within a narrow bandwidth of percentages for a defined cumulative proportion of crime. ” What? !

Environmental Criminology The law of crime concentration: “For a defined measure of crime at a specific microgeographic unit, the concentration of crime will fall within a narrow bandwidth of percentages for a defined cumulative proportion of crime. ” Crime clusters by place, and these clusters are stable and predictable over time. Crime control policies that focus on place are more effective than those that focus on people.

Rational Choice Theory Rational choice theory says crime happens because people weigh risks vs rewards. Suggests anyone will commit crime if given the right opportunity. Micro theory becomes macro if settings and conditions make rewards high and risks low – makes crime a rational choice for more people. Suggests the way to reduce crime is to increase perceived risk, lower perceived reward.

Routine Activities Theory Grew out of rational choice theory: which elements must come together to create opportunities for crime? Every crime requires convergence of: A motivated offender A suitable target Absence of a capable guardian against crime Settings and social behavior can make this convergence more or less likely.

Routine Activities Theory Grew out of rational choice theory: which elements must come together to create opportunities for crime? Critique: where does the motivation come from? Every crime requires convergence of: A motivated offender A suitable target Absence of a capable guardian against crime Settings and social behavior can make this convergence more or less likely.

Routine Activities Theory Grew out of rational choice theory: which elements must come together to create opportunities for crime? Critique: what makes some targets/victims more suitable? Every crime requires convergence of: A motivated offender A suitable target Absence of a capable guardian against crime Settings and social behavior can make this convergence more or less likely.

Routine Activities Theory ce Pla Of fen de r The “Problem Analysis Triangle, ” or Eck’s crime triangle: Target/Victim Inner triangle has three elements needed for a normal crime to occur: an offender, a target/victim, in a place together.

Routine Activities Theory Outer triangle depicts three sorts of supervisors: handlers, guardians, and place managers. ce Pla Of fen de r The “Problem Analysis Triangle, ” or Eck’s crime triangle: Target/Victim Handlers offenders Guardians targets/victims Managers places

Routine Activities Theory Handlers: Someone who knows the offender well and can control their actions. Parents, siblings, teachers, friends, spouses, probation and parole officers… Guardians: People who protect themselves, their belongs, or their friends, family, etc. Can also include police and private security, as well as technological adaptations (e. g. monitored CCTV)… Managers: Owner or designated person responsible for controlling behavior in a specific location, e. g. bus driver, teacher, bar owner, landlords, flight attendants, bouncers…

Routine Activities Theory Important take-aways: Most crime is ordinary Crime feeds off ordinary routines Offenders, targets, and guardians Not all crime analysis requires highly technical computing RAT can be applied to cyberspaces RAT works at both macro and micro levels

ce Pla Of f en de r Routine Activities Theory: Example Target/Victim A city park near a local high school has been repeatedly vandalized, including graffiti and property damage. The crimes seem to take place between 4 pm and midnight. The condition of the park means that families with young children don’t want to go there anymore, and the problem seems to be getting worse.

Routine Activities Theory: Your turn! Count off into 6 groups. For your problem, identify offenders, targets/victims, place (and time), and potential handlers, guardians, and managers. How could you reduce this crime problem by manipulating elements of the crime triangle?