Property Crime in The City and County of San Francisco 2016 - 2017 : Applying GIS to Crime Pattern Theory

Sammanfattning: This study’s aim is to reveal statistically significant hot spots and temporal patterns of property crime in the City and County of San Francisco and to also analyse the relationship between property crimes and the environment in which these crimes occur by using Geographic Information System (GIS). Crime pattern theory was used as the framework for the analysis of environmental surroundings and occurrence of crime. This theory indicates that certain places can be crime generators and attractors. The result showed that there are hot spots of crime in the north-eastern part of San Francisco, and that crime in these high-risk areas are intensifying. Then, by visual examination of density maps of property crime and facilities, such as shopping centres, pubs/bars/nightclubs and Bay Area Rapid Transit stations, it is shown that these facilities can explain concentrations of crime in certain areas. Furthermore, this study shows GIS can be a practical tool to utilize when presenting data of crime when used in combination with social theories which focuses on the causes of crime occurrence.