Repeat Burglary in a Perth Suburb: Indicator of Short-Term or Long-Term Risk? (From Repeat Victimization, P 83-118, 2001, Graham Farrell and Ken Pease, eds. -- See NCJ-189391)

• NCJ Number: 189396
• Author(s): Frank Morgan
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 36 pages
• Sale Source: Criminal Justice Press/Willow Tree Press
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Crime Prevention Studies, V 12

Annotation

This study of burglary in a small suburb of Perth, Western Australia, highlights the importance of long-term burglary risk factors operating on a small geographic scale, as well as the short-term influence of prior burglary events.

Abstract

The study data consisted of 5 years of police-recorded burglaries and attempted burglaries, with information available on the dates and times of these events, their addresses, and the value of any goods stolen. A repeat burglary was considered to have occurred when any dwelling unit was subject to more than one burglary over a 5-year period. The Life Table survival methodology proved useful for this repeat burglary analysis. The findings showed different patterns of burglary and repeat burglary coexisting within the town. Large and stable burglary-rate differences were found within collection districts whose centers might be only 200 and 300 meters apart. The reasons for this situation were tied to differences in opportunities for burglary, ease of access to dwellings, expected payoffs from burglary, and the routine activities of residents and visitors to the suburb. 2 tables, 3 figures, 20 notes, and 46 references