Answer to Question #305331 in English for Slindile

Question

Explain the modus operandi and hot spot matrix in planning crime prevention operations and provide practical examples

Answer 1

Hot spot policing is a strategy that involves the targeting of resources and activities to those places where crime is most concentrated. The strategy is based on the premise that crime and disorder are not evenly spread within neighbourhoods but clustered in small locations. Focusing resources and activities in hot spots aims to prevent crime in these specific areas and potentially reduce overall crime levels in the wider geographic area.

Hot spot policing is not defined by the use of specific interventions or tactics, but by whether activity is targeted at specific high-crime locations. Activities could include directed police patrols, aggressive disorder enforcement ('crackdowns’) or problem-oriented policing (POP).

This narrative is based on one review covering 65 studies, 62 of which contributed to a meta-analysis. Fifty-one of the primary studies included in the review were based on evidence from the USA, four from the UK, four from Sweden, and six from other countries (Argentina, Australia, Colombia, Denmark, India, and Trinidad and Tobago). 

A range of crime outcomes were used in the studies, including incident reports, emergency calls, and arrests.