Hotspot policing for murder and robbery: a Cape Town case study

Police operations should be based on station-level hotspots that are identified for each day of the week.

Accurate, point-level crime analysis and targeted hotspot policing can help reduce murder and robbery in South African cities. Using Durbanville and Nyanga, an analysis of SAPS point-level murder and aggravated robbery data from 2006 to 2018 by place and time reveals crime hotspots and time patterns. The report shows that crime and harm cluster together, and outlines examples of evidence-based police interventions that may have a positive impact in such areas.

About the authors

Dr Ian Edelstein is an independent researcher specialising in quantitative analysis of programme effects and developmental trajectories.

Robert Arnott is a mechanical engineer specialising in energy efficient design through computer modelling and analysis.

Dr Andrew Faull is a senior researcher in the Justice and Violence Prevention Programme at the ISS where he focuses on evidence-based policing.

Picture: Amelia Broodryk/ISS