Instead of merely a function of temporal and socioeconomic aspects as a predictor of criminal activity, crime can also be considered as a geographical phenomena. Environmental criminology incorporates the idea that crime is influenced by our lived environment.

Crime Geography Theory

• Routine activity theory: individuals with a motivation to commit a crime, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian. 

Routine activities occur in space, as do ‘nodes’ of activity (places of residence, school, work and leisure facilities. Furthermore, transportation effects the location of a crime which is especially visible when you compare between ‘walking cultures’ and ‘car cultures’.

• Rational choice theory: criminal activities are a result of the individual making what they believe to be a rational and prudent decision to commit a crime.

What are the rewards against the chances of getting caught? The individual might conduct a cost benefit analysis, and the risk might not be homogenous across space.

• Crime pattern theory: criminal activities are tied into people’s everyday activities

Crimes occur where the daily activities of victims and potential criminals intersect.

Spatial Crime Analysis Types

Geographical profiling is a tool that has been used to exploit the geographic nature of serial criminal offenders to predict the probably location of the next offence. This analysis can incorporate whether the criminal is a commuter (they travel to commit a crime) or marauder (they commit crimes in their own neighbourhood).

Crime Analysis Applications

• Intelligence analysis investigates organised criminal activity with the aim to link people with events and property via social network analysis.
• Criminal investigative analysis is the (largely retrospective) study of serial criminal activities with analysis alongside physical, socioeconomics, psychological and spatial variables.
• Tactical crime analysis incorporates recent criminal incidents and potential criminal activity to investigate trends in criminal activities and identify key suspects.
• Administrative crime analysis looks at the findings of crime analysis research in the context of legality, politics and practical considerations.