The Nature of the Relationship Between Crime and Geography

Abstract

Numerous criminological theories attempt to explain the criminality of individuals. While these theories differ they all carry implications for criminal justice agencies. In recent years, a few researchers have drawn attention to the lack of study and theory on criminality of space and place. Developing theory and studying the criminality of geographic place is a promising field that could help criminal justice agencies better allocate their limited resources to crime prone areas. This thesis reviews the existing literature on crime and geographic place to show the potential of this area of inquiry.