Crime, Policing and Place : Essays in Environmental Criminology

First published in 2002. Spiralling crime rates and continuing public concern about police-community relations ensure that crime and policing remain firmly on the social and political agenda. An awareness of crime continues to affect the lives of ordinary people and also to stimulate policy makers who recognise that crime rates form one of the principles by which their effectiveness is judged. Of the many agencies involved in the battle against crime, the police in their various roles constitute the most obvious front line. Drawing on case material from Britain, Europe, Canada and America, Crime, Policing and Place examines the significance of spatial patterns of crime and the processes which produce them. The book analyses the implications of theoretical and methodological innovation in the study of crime and policing, the processes which underlie the uneven distribution and impact of crime and the success of recent policies aimed at preventing crime and enhancing police-community relations. Contributors are drawn from a variety of academic disciplines, including criminology, geography and social policy and also from the police and government agencies with direct policy input.