Space-time analysis of theft from persons in Pereira (2019-2021). An approach to the theory of environmental munificence for crime

Abstract

The COVID-19 contingency gave rise to multiple social interactions for which neither governments nor citizens were prepared. The restrictive measures on mobility imposed by the National Government produced a series of changes not only in social dynamics and legal transactions, but also in the criminal context. The purpose of this study is to understand the space-time behavior of theft in the metropolitan area of Pereira, Colombia, and to compare this behavior observed under normal conditions and in times of pandemic. Data were obtained by consulting the Siedco application for the city studied in the 2019-2021 time window. The spatial analysis was performed using the technique known as pattern identification for space-time event networks (Ipree). The empirical evidence observed allows us to conclude that there is a space-time configuration that defines the dynamics of thefts in the city of Pereira and these patterns can be explained from the theory of environmental munificence for crime.