Reducing the Heat on Hot Victims

Highly prized is the truly productive crime prevention strategy, one that lightens the load on an overworked criminal justice system and, more importantly, reduces the number of victims. But to prevent crimes -- especially in hot spots (high-crime areas) -- police must determine where and when crimes are likely to occur. Drawing primarily on data collected in the United Kingdom, Reducing the Heat on Hot Victims underscores why a focal point for effective crime prevention is the hot dot, the victim who repeatedly suffers crime. Among the characteristics of repeat victimization: An individual's past crime victimization is a good predictor of his or her subsequent victimization, often inflicted by the same offender, and the greater the number of prior victimizations, the higher the likelihood the victim will endure future crime.