RT Article
T1 Crime at places of worship: a geospatial analysis
JF Criminal justice studies
VO 35
IS 4
SP 347
OP 363
A1 Denney, Andrew S.
A2 Torres, Christopher E.
A2 Oram, Christina
A2 Sutton, Melanie A.
LA English
YR 2022
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1823686419
AB Many religions often require followers to attend services at physical places of worship (PWs). However, the combination of individuals interacting with one another and the mere presence of physical structures for worship create numerous crime opportunities. The current study examines 6,772 crimes reported to police that occurred at PWs over a two-calendar year period (2009–2010) in one large Southern U.S. metropolitan city. Specifically, this study examines the types/frequencies of crime reported to police at PWs and the geospatial characteristics of PWs that were hotspots. In total, 78 crime categories occurred in the 1,081 unique cases, with theft being the most common offense. Additionally, most hotspot PWs were located near major intersections or bypasses. Policy implications and directions for future research will also be discussed.
K1 Religion
K1 Crime Mapping
K1 Hotspots
K1 Geospatial Analysis
K1 Church Crime
DO 10.1080/1478601X.2022.2141890