U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Library & Multimedia
 Understanding Developmental Crime Trajectories at Places: Social Disorganization and Opportunity Perspectives at Micro Units of Geography
NCJ Number
              236057

Author(s)
          David Weisburd;
                        Elizabeth R. Groff;
                        Sue-Ming Yang
Date Published

November 2009
Length
              379 pages
Annotation
              This report examines "criminology of place" suggesting the importance of "micro" places (e.g. addresses, street segments, and clusters of street segments) in understanding and controlling crime and that crime problems begin not with the people who commit crime but with the "micro" places where crimes are committed.
Abstract
              Individuals and communities have traditionally been the focus of criminological research, but recently criminologists have begun to explore the importance of "micro" places in understanding and controlling crime. Research provides strong evidence that crime is strongly clustered at "hot spots" and that there are important developmental trends of crime at place, but little is known about the geographic distribution of these patterns or the specific correlates of crime at this micro level of geography. The author's question concerns whether social disorganization and opportunity measures vary across micro units of geography, and whether they are clustered, like crime, into "hot spots." Using group-based trajectory modeling to identify eight broad developmental patterns across street segments in Seattle, the findings in this regard follow an earlier NIJ study that identified distinct developmental trends (e.g. high increasing and high decreasing patterns) while noting the overall stability of crime trends for the majority of street segments in Seattle. Examination of the geography of the developmental crime patterns observed, the authors find evidence of strong heterogeneity of trajectory patterns at street segments with the presence of chronic trajectory street segments throughout the city and a strong street-to-street variability in crime patterns suggesting area trends influence micro level trends. Overall, street segments evidencing higher social disorganization are also found to have higher levels of crime. Similarly, in the case of opportunity measures related to motivated offenders, suitable crime targets, and their accessibility, the authors find that greater opportunities for crime are found at street segments in higher rate trajectory patterns. Findings suggest that both perspectives have considerable salience in understanding crime at place, and together they allow us to develop a very strong level of prediction of crime.
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2005-IJ-CX-0006


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Report (Study/Research)


  
  
        
  Award
        Explaining Developmental Crime Trajectories at Places
    
  
  
Date Published: November 1, 2009
    
          Downloads
        
                      PDF

Related Datasets
        
                      http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR28161
Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              NIJ Journal
    
      
            
            
            
      Podcasts
    
      
            
            
            
      Publications Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Multimedia Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Software & Databases
    
      
            
            
            
      Datasets
    
      
            
            
            
      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Crime analysis
        Crime measurement
        Crime patterns
        Crime prediction
        Crime rate studies



  
Similar Publications
        
                      Methamphetamine and Violence in Illinois
                  Which Latinos Experience Bias Victimization? An Examination of Acculturation, Immigrant Status, and Socio-economic Status
                  The Role of Coping Styles in US Law Enforcement Officer Health and Wellness
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov