ABSTRACT
Research into the spatial behaviour of offending populations has shown that the distribution of distances travelled by offenders in the commission of their crimes is typically characterised by a ‘distance decay’ function (Canter, Coffey, Huntley and Missen 2000; Phillips 1980; Rengert, Piquero and Jones 1999; Rhodes and Conly 1981; Turner 1969). Essentially, as the distance from an offender’s home or base increases, the likelihood and frequency of their offending decreases (Turner 1969). This decline is non-linear in form, with a negative exponential or power function typically used to reflect the relationship between location and distance (ESRI 1996).
