The impact of built environment on the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of theft crime: A geodetector approach in X District, China

Abstract

This study examines the impact of the built environment on the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of theft crimes in X District, China. Utilizing the Geodetector model, the study analyzes how 20 environmental factors influence theft crimes under different levels of population mobility from the perspectives of crime generator, crime attractor, and crime enabler. The results indicate that, except for subway stations, all other factors exhibit significant attractiveness to theft crimes, with heterogeneous effects observed across different time periods and communities with varying levels of mobility. Built environment factors have the most pronounced influence on theft crimes in areas with moderate population mobility. The study proposes targeted crime prevention and control strategies based on the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of theft crimes.