Investigating the Repeat and Near-Repeat Patterns in Sub- categories of burglary crime

The investigation of repeat and near-repeat (RNR) patterns of sub-categories of burglary crimes is of great importance to law enforcement since a distinct intervention strategy may be suitable in the application to a different sub-category. In this study, the Knox test is used to investigate the RNR patterns within the data set of three different subcategories of burglary crime in relation to the city of San Francisco in the United States. The results of the investigation showed that each sub-category exhibits a distinct RNR patterns, based on spatio-temporal interactions revealed by the Knox test. This study suggests that similar characteristics may be obtainable in the sub-categories of other major crime types; the outcomes of which may enhance crime interventions.