Criminal Geography!

You are a Burglar ... Where would you burgle and why?

Criminal Geography

• Watch the video here and answer the following question;– How are mapping techniques

important to the police?

Where do you feel the most unsafe?

1) Think about an area you know that you do not feel safe in - write it down.

2) What about the place where lots of crime would take place? – Write down your short description.

Crime place perception

Draw these 2 lines into your exercise books and place the following 8 places on the lines

LIKE DISLIKE

SAFE UNSAFE

Turn to p90 in the text book or p96

The Criminal’s Mental Map

Different places offer different opportunities for crime. Like shops to steal from or houses to burgle.

We all have mental maps in our mind of areas we know well. The criminal will commit crimes in the areas he knows well, where they overlap with areas of opportunity.

The Criminal’s Mental Map

1. Look at the places shown on your photos. Which would you feel least safe in? Why?

2. Explain why criminals might like the places in photos 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

A ________ will use a mental ___to help them decide which _____to target. Usually a criminal will head for areas that they know ____, have opportunities for _____and where they can get ____ without being ____.

Crime Away Seen Well Areas Criminal Map

The Criminal’s Mental Map

You are going to produce a PERCEPTION MAP of crime in Surbiton.

1. Mark 3 safe places and 3 unsafe places on the map – USE A KEY!

2. Shade the areas according to how safe you perceive them to be

3. Repeat the process and, either as a separate map or an overlay, create a second map from the point of an OAP.

Perceptions of Crime:Crime in Surbiton

Homework

• Imagine you are writing a letter to Surbiton Police station, letting them know which areas are unsafe around Surbiton High School and why. Include a map!