Description
Springer Putting Crime In Its Place Units Of Analysis In Geographic Criminology 2008 Edition by David Weisburd Wim Bernasco Gerben Bruinsma
Putting Crime in its Place: Units of Analysis in Geographic Criminology focuses on the units of analysis used in geographic criminology. While crime and place studies have been a part of criminology from the early 19th century growing interest in crime places over the last two decades demands critical reflection on the units of analysis that should form the focus of geographic analysis of crime. Should the focus be on very small units such as street addresses or street segments or on larger aggregates such as census tracts or communities? Academic researchers as well as practical crime analysts are confronted routinely with the dilemma of deciding what the unit of analysis should be when reporting on trends in crime when identifying crime hot spots or when mapping crime in cities. In place-based crime prevention the choice of the level of aggregation plays a particularly critical role. This peer reviewed collection of essays aims to contribute to crime and place studies by making explicit the problems involved in choosing units of analysis in geographic criminology. Written by renowned experts in the field the chapters in this book address basic academic questions and also provide real-life examples and applications of how they are resolved in cutting-edge research. Crime analysts in police and law enforcement agencies as well as academic researchers studying the spatial distributions of crime and victimization will learn from the discussions and tools presented. Table of contents : Putting Crime in its Place: Units of Analysis in Geographic Criminology Edited by David Weisburd Wim Bernasco and Gerben J.N. Bruinsma Table of Contents Introduction 1-Units of Analysis in Geographic Criminology: Historical Development Critical Issues and Open Questions David Weisburd Gerben J.N. Bruinsma Wim Bernasco Part IWhat is the Appropriate Level of Investigation of Crime At Place?Theoretical and Methodological Issues in Defining Units of Place 2-Why Small is Better: Advancing the Study of the Role of Behavioral Contexts in Crime CausationDietrich Oberwittler Per-Olof H. Wikstroem 3-Where the Action is at Places: Examining Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Juvenile Crime at Places Using Trajectory Analysis and GIS Elizabeth Groff David Weisburd Nancy A. Morris 4-Crime Analysis at Multiple Scales of Aggregation: A Topological Approach Patricia L. Brantingham Paul J. Brantingham Mona Vajihollahi Kathryn Wuschke 5-Geographical Units of Analysis and the Analysis of Crime George F. Rengert Brian Lockwood 6-Waves Particles and Crime Michael D. Maltz Part IIEmpirical Examples of Crime Place Studies: What Can We Learn? 7-Crime Neighborhoods and Units of Analysis: Putting Space in its Place George E. Tita Robert T. Greenbaum 8-Predictive Mapping of Crime by ProMap: Accuracy Units of Analysis and the Environmental Backcloth Shane D. Johnson Kate J. Bowers Daniel J. Birks Ken Pease 9-Urban Streets as MicroContexts to Commit Violence Johan van Wilsem 10-Determining How Journeys-To-Crime Vary: Measuring Inter- and Intra-Offender Crime Trip Distributions William Smith John W. Bond Michael Townsley