ABSTRACT
In recent years, crime scholars and practitioners have begun to focus on places where crime occurs as they work at preventing crime. Research suggests that crime does not happen in all areas of a city in equal amounts. Instead, crime clusters in certain areas, called hot spots. These hot spots account for a greater amount of crime and disorder. Even within sections of a city or a neighborhood, crime clusters at a few specific locations while other nearby areas may be crime-free. Some researchers have argued that police officers should focus their attention and limited resources on these hot spots. The theory is that if we can prevent crime at these hot spots, then total crime might be reduced. Therefore, hot spots policing has been the focus of more police departments in their efforts to prevent crime.
