Space, Time, and Crime

Book excerpt: Interest in the spatial distribution of crime and criminals has experienced a virtual explosion over the past several years. In Space, Time, and Crime, the authors provide an overview of the various theoretical explanations, crime control policies, and practical investigative tools used to identify high crime places, spaces, and times. Throughout the text, Lersch and Hart strive to provide a highly readable, informative discussion of the important issues surrounding the geography of crime, providing real world examples as well as illustrations from previously published research. Space, Time, and Crime provides a basic overview of the more popular theories that have been used to explain the concentration of crime in certain places and times. Each theory is carefully and clearly developed from its historical roots to contemporary applications, with solid research cited throughout the discussions. The reader is then moved from theory into practice, where a summary and critique of a number of various theoretically-driven practical policy applications are presented. The basic elements of crime analysis and crime mapping, both very popular crime fighting tools for police agencies and place managers, are presented. Finally, the book closes with a strong Marxist-based critique of the various theories, policies, and tools, leaving the reader with some troubling questions to ponder. This fourth edition updates and expands the third edition by including dozens of figures and images that help visualize criminological research, essentially bringing the real-world of research to the reader and into the classroom. This new edition also incorporates new sections on some of the most recent advancements in the study of space, time, and crime, including a review of Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM) and Situational Action Theory (SAT). Finally, this new edition has incorporated empirical scholarship from over 50 new/updated sources, providing the reader with the most up-to-date topics discussed by the authors. PowerPoint slides are available upon adoption. Sample slides from the full, 203-slide presentation are available to view here. Email [email protected] for more information. Praise for earlier editions: "One of the best features of this text is its readability, coupled with the logical development of theoretical interpretation. Space, Time, and Crime is crafted to encourage students to examine familiar concepts from a distinctive perspective -- one that frames theory logically to enhance students' understanding of the unique and powerful relationship between crime and place." -- Mary Ann Eastep, University of Central Florida "The authors provide broad coverage of topics addressing the understanding, analysis and response to the geographic patterns of crime. They include helpful historical coverage of many criminological theories pertinent to the understanding of crimes at places and variation of crime across space. Lersch and Hart also discuss crime data sources and introduce applied crime mapping and crime analysis techniques and topics, as well as applications and criminal justice responses to crime in hot spots. Of note is an unusual presentation of the complexities and conflicting evidence provided by geographic restrictions and mapping of sex offenders." -- Tammy Kochel, Southern Illinois University