From Right to Left it Had No End: “Hot Spots”
Law enforcement agencies should not be content with knowing the statistical probability of crimes happening based on where and when these crimes have previously occurred. Statistics only allow management to set goals for crime prevention in general localities without specific targets. “Revictimization” (repeat crime) studies illuminate the “hot spots” in the crime map but do not explain why people, places, and things are being revictimized. True crime pattern analysis starts from the assumption that law enforcement must target specific perpetrators if it is to break the cycle of revictimization. Through analysis of reports, the crime intelligence analyst creates a profile of each known offender, the offender’s MOs (style of entry, day of the week, time of day, choice of goods to be burglarized, fencing outlets), his or her associates, and the associates’ MOs. For example, combining the mapping of burglary incidents with a knowledge of suspects’ activities builds up a more meaning...
