The impact of strict measures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spatial pattern of the demand for police: case study Antwerp (Belgium)

Abstract COVID-19 impacts the daily lives of millions of people. This radical change in our daily activities affected many aspects of life, but acted as well as a natural experiment for research into the spatial distribution of 911 calls. We analyse the impact of the COVID-19 measures on the spatial pattern of police interventions. Crime is not uniformly distributed across street segments, but how does COVID-19 affect these spatial patterns? To this end, Gini coefficients are calculated and a proportion differences spatial point pattern test is applied to compare the similarity of the patterns... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Dewinter, Maite
Vandeviver, Christophe
Dau, Philipp M.
Vander Beken, Tom
Witlox, Frank
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2021
Reihe/Periodikum: Crime Science ; volume 10, issue 1 ; ISSN 2193-7680
Verlag/Hrsg.: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Schlagwörter: Law / Urban Studies / Cultural Studies / Safety Research
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-26997922
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40163-021-00156-7

Abstract COVID-19 impacts the daily lives of millions of people. This radical change in our daily activities affected many aspects of life, but acted as well as a natural experiment for research into the spatial distribution of 911 calls. We analyse the impact of the COVID-19 measures on the spatial pattern of police interventions. Crime is not uniformly distributed across street segments, but how does COVID-19 affect these spatial patterns? To this end, Gini coefficients are calculated and a proportion differences spatial point pattern test is applied to compare the similarity of the patterns of incidents before, during, and after the first lockdown in Antwerp, Belgium. With only essential mobility being allowed, the emergency call pattern has not significantly changed before, during or after this lockdown, however, a qualitative shift in police officer’s daily work may have had an effect on the daily operation of the Antwerp police force.