ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at why concentrations of crime occur. Generally speaking, most crime, and most variation in crime, is due to repeat and near repeat victimisation. New technology crimes are also highly concentrated: network attacks, for instance, are highly concentrated upon particular domains and upon particular networks. The repeat victimisation literature identifies the ‘flag and boost’ explanations plus how repeats occur disproportionately in hot spots and high crime areas due to interaction effects when multiple suitable targets and potential offenders converge. Depending on the type of preventive measure to be introduced there is likely to be efficiency in having a focus upon repeat domains and repeatedly targeted networks – the virtual equivalent of repeat victims and repeat places. The development of models of predictive policing and predictive crime prevention has evolved from work on repeats and near repeats.
