The GIS Study of the City of Tampa: What Makes Certain City Areas Vulnerable to Auto Theft Crime?

Administratively defined spatial units such as police grids, census tracts, or planning districts are still used to map crime areas, even though it is obvious that these spatial units do not accurately represent the areas high on certain types of crime due to the fact that their borders (usually, the city streets) are artificially imposed on the areas of study. Also, assuming that administrative spatial units are homogenous in regard to distribution of crime and other variables of interest, can lead to erroneous conclusions. The purpose of this study is, first of all, to determine which areas in the City of Tampa, FL are high on auto theft using clustering and comparing the results with the results produced by using Tampa Police Department grids. Second, a closer look will be taken at the areas high on auto theft and the following issues will be addressed: What makes certain areas vulnerable to auto theft crime? How does city planning (presence of cul-de-sacs, certain types of businesses, and other factors) contribute to high auto theft rate? ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]