Environmental Criminology: The Place Dimension - Space and Time

Place Dimension: Space and Time

• The place dimension in environmental criminology encompasses both space and time.
• Crime concentrates in time.

Temporal Patterns in Crime

• Time can be divided in many ways to analyze crime patterns.

Seasonality

• Bicycle Theft: In Northern Hemisphere countries, bicycle theft is low in winter and high in summer.
  • This pattern correlates with bicycle usage; people use bikes more in pleasant weather, leading to increased theft opportunities.
  • The risk of theft increases when bikes are left in public spaces.
  • This pattern depends on place.
• Burglary: In a Northern Hemisphere study area, burglaries increased in winter months.
  • Time-of-day patterns differ between summer and winter.
  • Winter burglaries are more likely in the late afternoon/early evening.
  • Lack of daylight in winter extends the "burglar's workday."
  • Burglaries increase when it's easier to spot unoccupied homes (lights off, etc.).

Days of the Week

• Damage to Vehicles: Peaks on Saturdays, with Fridays and Sundays also showing higher incidents.
  • Hypothesis: coincides with youths having free time.
  • People parked their cars in places other than where they live, because they're off socializing and things like that, resulting in damage to vehicles.

Times of the Day

• Robbery: Peaks in the late afternoon and evening.
  • Linked to the routine activities of young people, who are often the victims.
  • Nighttime leisure habits also play a role.

Routine Activities and Temporal Patterns

• Crime is not random; it occurs at specific locations and times.
• Understanding temporal patterns is crucial for crime prevention.
• Routine activities of victims significantly influence crime.
• The routine activities of offenders and victims often intersect based on seasonal and temporal context.

Influences on Temporal Crime Patterns

• School and university holidays.
• Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night (associated with spikes in antisocial behavior).
• Mischief Night (last day of school term): graduating to people throwing bricks and all sorts of things.
• Day of the week: some crimes spike on weekends, others during the week.
• Time of day: movement between obligatory and recreational activities.
• Understanding human behavior strengthens the analysis of hotspots and hot times by providing plausible explanations for observed patterns.

Cross-National Variations

• Significant variation exists across countries due to different work patterns, holiday structures, and minimum legal standards for annual leave.
  • The United States has a "workaholic" culture with less time off compared to countries with strong welfare states like France and Sweden.
  • Gulf States: UAE recently changed work week, recognizing the cultural importance of Friday prayers for Muslims.
• National holidays vary, affecting routine activities.
  • Some holidays focus on family gatherings, while others involve going out and having fun.
• Cultural expectations of leisure time differ.
  • Chinese culture: downtime at home is common during time off (except for the Spring Festival).

Diversity in Routine Activities

• Variations exist in daily routines across countries.
  • China: Customary to return home for lunch during the workday.
  • Mediterranean countries: Siesta time is a cultural norm.
  • India: Extended time off for weddings.
  • Monsoon periods alter work patterns.
• Regional variations exist within countries due to social makeup and cultural habits.
• Example: In Brazil, homicides concentrate on evenings and weekends, especially during hot months and holiday periods, due to increased social interaction and tension.

Conclusion

• Analyzing crime requires understanding the study area's habits and the routines of its residents.
• Cultural context greatly influences crime patterns.