Residential Burglaries and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Context in London, Ontario: Global and Local Regression Analysis

Authors: Malczewski, Jacek¹; Poetz, Anneliese²

Source: The Professional Geographer, Volume 57, Number 4, November 2005 , pp. 516-529(14)

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Abstract:

The main aim of this article is to analyze the relationships between the spatial patterns of residential burglaries and the socioeconomic characteristics of neighborhoods in London, Ontario. Relative risk ratios are applied as a measure of the intensity of residential burglary. The variation in the risks of burglary is modeled as a function of contextual neighborhood variables. Following a conventional (global) regression analysis, spatial variations in the relationships are examined using geographically weighted regression (GWR). The GWR results show that there are significant local variations in the relationships between the risk of residential burglary victimization and the average value of dwellings and percentage of the population in multifamily housing. The results are discussed in the context of four hypotheses, which may explain geographical variations in residential burglary. The practical implication of the GWR analysis is that different crime prevention policies should be implemented in different neighborhoods of the city.

Keywords: residential burglary; neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics; global and local regression analysis; London; Ontario

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9272.2005.00496.x

Affiliations: 1: University of Western Ontario 2: McMaster University

Publication date: 2005-11-01