How far do they go?: A spatial examination of missing persons from hospitals

PurposeMissing person cases are a global issue impacting policing. Among these, those who abscond from hospitals are especially concerning because these reports require collaboration across services, often strain already limited police and hospital resources and present an elevated level of possible harm due to high prevalence of mental illness, disability and/or addiction. Despite this, to-date, there has been a lack of scholarly attention on this phenomenon from a policing perspective. The present study aims to fill this gap by exploring how far missing hospital patients travel and where they are commonly found.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 731 closed case files (2014–2018) from one police service, we identify spatial behaviour patterns specific to this group of missing persons.FindingsResults suggest that most do not leave the hospital grounds or stay within a 5-km radius. Others were found close to the hospital, within city limits and/or returned of their own volition. By identifying these spatial behaviour patterns associated with missing hospital patients, police can refine probable search areas, allocate resources more efficiently, find the missing faster and develop better-informed responses and collaborative policies.Originality/valueOur research represents the first empirical investigation into missing persons from hospital settings through a spatial perspective. Through descriptive statistical and spatial analyses, we determine the distance between the hospital a given individual was reported missing from and the location of where they were ultimately found.

Mapping Autistic Wayfinding in Urban Environments

Needs and preferences in wayfinding tasks of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been a topic of ongoing discussion in the scientific literature over the last decades. While different tasks have revealed both autistic strengths (e.g., encoding and recall of route information) and weaknesses (e.g., understanding allocentric representations), ASD spatial behaviour is not fully understood yet. In this paper we focus on spatial uncertainty, which is the discrepancy between a-priori expectation and in-situ experience and thus a constant factor in ASD wayfinding tasks. As a matter of course, spatial uncertainty is inevitable, always resulting from a dynamic interaction of situational qualities (e.g., noise or smell). Nevertheless, mapping uncertainty and the underlying spatial patterns in an organized way might help users from the ASD spectrum to better prepare for the different levels of expectable uncertainty in route. We propose a framework of conceptualizing, measuring, and mapping spatial uncertainty from an autistic viewpoint. The discussion of this framework is based on a qualitative analysis of the spatial behaviour of B, a five-year-old child with ASD and nonverbal communication, in an urban environment. We compare the level of spatial uncertainty of the routes developed by B against the routes indicated by ourselves.

Relationships between demographic and behavioural factors and spatial behaviour in missing persons’ cases

To date, limited systematic focus has been directed to examining factors that influence the spatial behaviour of missing people. Accordingly, this study examined whether demographic and behavioural factors were related to distance between missing and found locations in 16,454 archival cases of missing reports from two UK police forces. Findings from ordinal regressions showed that children were more likely to be found at further distances if they were deemed to be at high or medium risk of coming to harm but less likely to be located further away when victims of a violent attack. Adults were more likely to be found at further distances if planning behaviours were present (e.g. had taken their passport), but less likely to if they were above the age of 65 years or suffering from abuse. Findings indicate the role of age, planning and vulnerability on travel when missing. Implications for search strategies and directions for future research are considered.

Spatial behavior of red deer (cervus elaphus) in northern apennines: are we managing them correctly?

Backgound Throughout its range, red deer is a well-studied species. In Italy the species occupies two ecologically different ranges: the Alps and the Apennine. Although several studies have described spatial behaviour of red deer in the Italian Alps, no data are available for the Apennine population. Results Spatial behaviour of 13 deer from Northern Apennine range was analysed for the first-time using GPS-GSM telemetry, from 2011 to 2017. Red deer displayed two different strategies coexisting in the population, i.e., migratory and stationary. Females tend to migrate more than males. We found a high level of inter individual variability in the date of migration/return, while each migratory deer is very conservative during the study period. Migration ranges are on average 12±4.2 km far apart from the resident range. Both migratory and resident deer displayed high site fidelity. No switch from migratory to stationary strategy was observed for any deer during the study period, which however could have been too short to detect any switch. At management level, a spatial mismatch was found between deer range and management units (districts) in 44.4% of the cases. Merging the districts belonging of each province to obtain an area of approximately 1.000 km 2 would partially solve such spatial mismatch reducing it to 22%. Conclusions Despite the low sample size, these results can provide guidance for future management actions. An in-dept study with a higher sample size is however required to better understand and manage the red deer Apennine population.

Las características del espacio urbano como factores de exposición al COVID-19 en Ciudad de México

El artículo muestra la interacción entre las desigualdades socioespaciales acumuladas históricamente y la dinámica espacial del riesgo de contagio de COVID-19 en Ciudad de México. El objetivo es analizar la relación en el espacio urbano entre la localización de algunos factores de exposición al virus, identificados en la bibliografía especializada (vinculados con el transporte, la vivienda y el empleo) y la dinámica espacial de los contagios. Con métodos de análisis espacial, se vinculan conceptos de la ecología política y la teoría de la construcción social del riesgo. Se concluye que las condiciones de habitabilidad, el tiempo de traslado en medios de transporte colectivo y los niveles de desarrollo social son factores que determinan el comportamiento espacial de los contagios. Las periferias urbanas marginadas constituyen sitios desfavorecidos, en cuanto a las condiciones de exposición. Abstract The article shows the interaction between historically accumulated socio-spatial inequalities and the spatial dynamic of the risk of contagion of COVID-19 in Mexico City. The objective is to analyze the urban spatial relationship between the location of exposure factors to the virus, identified through literature review (associated with transport, living and employment), and the spatial dynamic of contagion. By using spatial analysis methods and techniques, concepts from political ecology and the theory of social construction of risk are connected. It is concluded that the conditions of habitability, the commuting time in public transportation and the levels of social development are determining factors of the spatial behaviour of contagion. Due to conditions of exposure, marginalized urban peripheries become disadvantaged places.

THE TOURISTS’ SPATIAL BEHAVIOUR AND TOURIST MOVEMENT PATTERN IN MUAR JOHOR

Unsystematic transportation system and accessibility, fewer tourism packages supply, and disorganised digital marketing strategy in destination management are the factors of the limitation of the tourist movement in a destination. Therefore, this research aims to determine the characteristics of the tourist’s spatial behaviour and tourist movement pattern in Muar, Johor. This research implemented a qualitative method through the semi-structured interview, which involved seven respondents who visited Muar, Johor. The result shows the characteristics of tourists’ spatial behaviour and tourist’s movement pattern has a significant interaction in investigating visiting characteristics, spatial data and movement. In the context of the macro-level movement pattern, the findings indicate that Muar has the potential to be developed as a one-day trip and three days one-night trip destination. Hence, it has positively affected tourism destination management to improve the travel package for domestic and international tourists. The main contribution of this research is to apply the mutual understanding of the tourist movement concept among visitors in investigating the complex visitor movement during travel related to the physical environment factor such as attractions, route and accessibility, and mode of transportation influenced by tourists’ spatial behaviour. This study can also be a primary reference for Muar local authority and destination management to ameliorate many aspects of creating an efficient tourist movement considering sustainable development in the urban heritage area.

Knowledge of tourist spatial behaviour to improve Melaka world heritage site management

Purpose The paper aims to comprehensively use the knowledge of tourist spatial behaviour to improve World Heritage Site (WHS) management. Efficient heritage management can be achieved if critical aspects such as tourist spatial activities were better and comprehensively understood, primarily at the micro-level. Inaccurate information on these essential aspects will potentially cause problems in managing a WHS and compromises its Outstanding Universal Value. This study aims to extend the knowledge of tourist spatial behaviour by including the non-spatial and spatial characteristics of the tourists to better manage a WHS. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a trip diary and a GPS tracking app with 384 free independent tourists as the study respondents. Melaka WHS was chosen as the study area. The data were complemented by an aggregative analysis method to extract different discrete patterns based on individual itineraries. Findings This paper indicates a noticeable relationship between individuals’ non-spatial and spatial characteristics. It suggests that integrating these two characteristics can provide more comprehensive knowledge of tourist behaviour. Originality/value This paper provides a different perspective to improving WHS management by determining the operative tools to develop an effective visitor management plan.