Relationships Between Offenders’ Crime Locations and Different Prior Activity Locations as Recorded in Police Data

Abstract Understanding the relationships between individual offenders’ crime locations and their prior activity is important to enable level predictions support prevention investigation strategies. This study examined a wider range of crimes than included in previous studies, determine whether offenders are more likely commit near some types others. Using discrete spatial choice models, we identified proximity pre-crime recorded police database (e.g., homes, family members’ schools, crimes, other interactions) 17,054 residential burglaries, 10,353 non-residential 1,977 commercial robberies, 4,315 personal 4,421 extra-familial sex offences New Zealand. Offenders were generally closer farther away, those visited frequently home versus homes) or impart relevant knowledge about opportunities victim witness locations). The observed patterns for different broadly recently proposed extension pattern theory illustrate benefits differentiating location when examining criminal behaviour. results have implications offender risk assessment management, geographic profiling investigations.