Spencer Chainey

Participatory design of a thematic questionnaire in the field of victimization studies

The paper introduces the results of a two-step process that led to the design of a new questionnaire in the field of victimization studies. A desk-based review of national Crime and Victimization Surveys from five EU countries was performed and resulted in identifying opportunities to improve the consistency among these surveys as well as the need to include more independent variables in order to measure fear of crime and its correlation with sociological variables. Then 12 experts in survey-based measures of crime-related issues were involved in a Delphi panel with the objective of enhancing a participatory design of a new questionnaire addressing individual and space-based determinants of the perception of insecurity, which has been poorly explored to date.

A problem‐oriented approach to the production of strategic intelligence assessments

Purpose – The strategic intelligence assessment (SIA) plays an important role in contemporary intelligence‐led policing by helping to identify strategic priorities for policing activity, crime reduction and improvements in community safety. Originally defined in the UKs National Intelligence Model, the SIA is produced annually by all local UK police districts as well as other agencies in the UK and internationally that have adopted intelligence‐led principles. The purpose of this paper is to critique the two most common approaches to its production, structuring its content following a “crime‐type” template or an assessment that is based on previous strategic priorities.Design/methodology/approach – The papers critique is based on reviewing one hundred SIAs from police forces and Community Safety Partnerships in the UK and through speaking to practitioners on their experiences in using these intelligence products to determine strategic priorities.Findings – The paper identifies weaknesses in both, arguin...

From Crime Analysis to Homeland Security: A Role for Neighborhood Profiling?

This chapter presents a review and interpretation of the use of small area neighborhood profiles (geodemographics) in community policing and, by extension, in homeland security applications. We discuss the merits of a local focus in policing, and the data and analytical frameworks that are necessary to support this activity. Next we use case study examples to illustrate how priorities for neighborhood policing may be developed, and suggest that available public sector data may be used to drive improved bespoke classifications of neighborhoods. It is argued that better measures of local social capital and community cohesion may be used to tailor interventions to local circumstances, and to maintain and enhance community stability. We conclude with an overview of some ethical impediments to development of such approaches in homeland security applications.

Examining the extent to which repeat and near repeat patterns can prevent crime

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent and variation in the estimates to which crime can be prevented using patterns of repeats and near repeats, and whether hotspot analysis complements these patterns. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Crime data for four study areas in New Zealand are used to examine differences in the extent of burglary repeat and near repeat victimisation. Hotspots of burglary are also created to determine the extent to which burglary repeats and near repeats spatially intersect hotspots. FINDINGS: The extent of repeats and near repeats varies, meaning there is variation in the estimated prevention benefits that repeat and near repeat patterns offer. In addition, at least half of the burglaries repeats and near repeats were not located within hotspots. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The use of other techniques for examining crime concentration could be used to improve the research observations. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: By showing that levels of repeats and near repeats vary, the extent to which these observations coincide in hotspots offers practitioners a better means of determining whether repeat and near repeat patterns are reliable for informing crime prediction and crime prevention activities. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper is the first known research study that explicitly measures the variation in the extent of repeats and near repeats and the spatial intersection of these patterns within crime hotspots. The results suggest that rather than considering the use of repeat and near repeat patterns as a superior method for predicting and preventing crime, value remains in using hotspot analysis for determining where crime is likely to occur, particularly when hotspot analysis emphasises other locations for resource targeting.