U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Why Neighborhoods Matter: The Importance of Geographic Composition

NCJ Number
229229
Journal
Geography & Public Safety Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: December 2009 Pages: 1-2
Author(s)
Ronald E. Wilson
Date Published
December 2009
Length
2 pages
Annotation

This article from the Quarterly Bulletin of Applied Geography for the Study of Crime and Public Safety examines the importance of neighborhoods in community policing.

Abstract

As defined by the author, neighborhoods create and form communities and are the places where the everyday practices of life occur. This article examines the importance of neighborhoods and their relation to the development of communities and why this is important in combating crime. The author notes that the concept of neighborhoods is an important component of crime studies but has been used primarily from a sociological perspective. The use of neighborhoods from a geographical perspective can be very useful in crime studies. Delineating the geographical boundaries of neighborhoods allows local governments to take action and resolve problems using immediate and practical solutions. The author examines the use of geographical information systems (GIS) in identifying the boundaries of neighborhoods, and provides several examples of the use of technology for promoting the sense of a neighborhood. 2 notes