THE LAW OF CRIME CONCENTRATION AND THE CRIMINOLOGY OF PLACE*

Criminology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID WEISBURD
Keyword(s):  
Crime Concentration ◽  
Law Of Crime Concentration ◽  
Criminology Of Place ◽  
The Law

The geographic concentration of use of force incidents at subway stations mimics the law of crime concentration bandwidths: A research note

2020 ◽  
pp. 0032258X2092809
Author(s):  
Evan T Sorg ◽  
Kimberly A Houser ◽  
Carla Lewandowski ◽  
Natalie Schell-Busey
Keyword(s):  
Use Of Force ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Crime Concentration ◽  
Geographic Concentration ◽  
The Public ◽  
Pertinent Data ◽  
Law Of Crime Concentration ◽  
Risky Facilities ◽  
The Law ◽  
Subway Stations

The Law of Crime Concentration states that a small percent of microplaces will account for large portions of crime. In this research, we demonstrate that police use of force incidents likewise occur at a small percentage of subway stations in Philadelphia, a category of ‘risky facilities’, where crime concentration is also expected. Those percentages mimic the bandwidths of the Law of Crime Concentration. We sketch pertinent data collection needs and future research questions that should be explored if a crime and place perspective is to play a role in understanding and informing policies geared toward reducing the extent to which police use force against the public.

scholarly journals Assessing the Spatial Concentration of Urban Crime: An Insight from Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal Umar ◽  
Shane D. Johnson ◽  
James A. Cheshire
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Crime Victimization ◽  
Crime Concentration ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Law Of Crime Concentration ◽  
The Law ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Objective Research demonstrates that crime is concentrated. This finding is so consistent that David Weisburd refers to this as the “law of crime concentration at place”. However, most research on crime concentration has been conducted in the US or European cities and has used secondary data sources. In this study, we examine whether the law of crime concentration applies in the context of sub-Saharan Africa using primary data. Methods A crime victimization survey was used to collect data in the city of Kaduna (Nigeria). Using these data, the concentration of crime (breaking-and-entering and domestic theft) was examined at the household, street segment, and neighborhood levels. Specifically, variants of a Lorenz curve and the Gini index (GI) were used to examine whether crime concentrates at these different spatial scales and if such concentration reflects anything beyond the spatial distribution of opportunity for these types of offenses. Results Crime was found to concentrate at all spatial scales, and having accounted for expectation, given the distribution of opportunity, crime was most concentrated at the household level, closely followed by street segments. It was relatively less concentrated at the neighborhood level. Conclusion The current study extends previous research in a number of ways. It shows that the law of crime concentration at place applies in a very different context to most previous work. Unlike previous studies, we use primary data collected specifically to test the law, avoiding problems associated with the dark figure of crime. Moreover, the findings persist after accounting for crime opportunity.

The Law of Crime Concentration at Places: Editors’ Introduction

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony A. Braga ◽  
Martin A. Andresen ◽  
Brian Lawton
Keyword(s):  
Crime Concentration ◽  
Law Of Crime Concentration ◽  
The Law

scholarly journals Spatial Concentration of Opioid Overdose Deaths in Indianapolis: An Application of the Law of Crime Concentration at Place to a Public Health Epidemic

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy G. Carter ◽  
George Mohler ◽  
Bradley Ray
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Opioid Overdose ◽  
Spatial Concentration ◽  
Crime Concentration ◽  
Concentration Estimation ◽  
Law Of Crime Concentration ◽  
Recent Method ◽  
The Law ◽  
Opioid Deaths ◽  
Evidence Based Policing

The law of crime concentration at place has become a criminological axiom and the foundation for one of the strongest evidence-based policing strategies to date. Using longitudinal data from three sources, emergency medical service calls, death toxicology reports from the Marion County (Indiana) Coroner’s Office, and police crime data, we provide four unique contributions to this literature. First, this study provides the first spatial concentration estimation of opioid-related deaths. Second, our findings support the spatial concentration of opioid deaths and the feasibility of this approach for public health incidents often outside the purview of traditional policing. Third, we find that opioid overdose death hot spots spatially overlap with areas of concentrated violence. Finally, we apply a recent method, corrected Gini coefficient, to best specify low- N incident concentrations and propose a novel method for improving upon a shortcoming of this approach. Implications for research and interventions are discussed.

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