ECOLOGY OF CRIME IN URBAN AND SUBURBAN AREA: SPATIAL PATTERNS OF CRIME IN THE CITY OF NIŠ (SERBIA)
ECOLOGY OF CRIME IN URBAN AND SUBURBAN AREA: SPATIAL PATTERNS OF CRIME IN THE CITY OF NIŠ (SERBIA)

Summary/Abstract: The ecological theory of crime was first introduced into criminology by the Cartographic School of Criminology in the 19th century. Ecological theories of crime were further developed by the Chicago School of Criminology in the early 20th century. Contemporary ecological theories include routine activity theory, crime pattern theory, and rational choice theory. The impact of the ecological perspective in scientific research of crime is noticeable in today's studies too. Modern scientists, researchers, and practitioners study crime by using the geographic information system, statistical and geostatistical methods, and crime mapping. The empirical research on the spatial patterns and concentration of crime in the City of Nis, Republic of Serbia, was conducted on the research sample of property crimes and violent crimes committed in the years 2008, 2013 and 2018. All the cases were geocoded into spatial units which represent urban and suburban areas in the territory of the City of Niš. Descriptive statistics was used to identify the urban areas with the highest crime rate. Andersen’s Spatial Point Pattern Test (SPPT) was used to check the research hypothesis that the spatial patterns of crime are stable over time. This hypothesis has not been confirmed as the findings show that criminal activity demonstrates a trend of moving away from the central city zones towards the urban (residential) areas and suburban settlements. The results of this empirical research are of scientific and practical value. This spatial analysis of crime is among the first analysis of this kind in Serbia and the Balkans, and it was the very first time in the region that such analysis involved the application of the Spatial Point Pattern Test (SPPT). The research results maybe useful when creating security strategies and crime prevention policies by the police, decision-makers, and other stakeholders.

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