RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY AND URBAN FORM

• NCJ Number: 31731
• Journal: Urban Studies Volume: 12 Dated: (1975) Pages: 273-284
• Author(s): P L BRANTINGHAM; P J BRANTINGHAM
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINT

Annotation

USING SET THEORY AND POINT-SET TOPOLOGY, THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRIME AND LAND-USE PATTERNS BY EXAMINING THE CRIME OF RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY IN ONE AMERICAN CITY, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA.

Abstract

THE CRIME DATA FOR THIS STUDY WERE ALL RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES KNOWN TO POLICE IN TALLAHASSEE DURING THE CALENDAR YEAR 1970. THE BURGLARIES WERE GEOCODED TO THE CITY BLOCK ON WHICH THEY OCCURRED. THUS, THIS ALLOWED COMPARISONS IF SMALL, RELATIVELY HOMOGENEOUS UNITS (BLOCKS) WHICH CAN BE JOINED TOGETHER TO PRODUCE LARGER UNITS SUCH AS NEIGHBORHOODS. IT WAS FOUND THAT WHEN THE CRIME RATES BY BLOCK WERE COMPARED WITH THE LOCATION OF BLOCKS IN NEIGHBORHOOD SETS, A PATTERN EMERGED; BORDER BLOCKS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SETS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER BURGLARY RATES THAN INTERIOR BLOCKS. THE AUTHORS STATE THAT THIS SUGGESTS THAT IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO REDUCE THE BURGLARY INCIDENCE BY CONTROLLING THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF NEIGHBORHOODS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)