Point-level analysis of crime in Khayelitsha: a critical review

If the underlying data is mostly accurate, spatial analysis can reveal crime trends and enable more intelligent responses.

This report analyses point-level data on murders and robberies for a high-crime community in South Africa to discern spatial trends. It explores the data at a granular level to understand the nature of several hotspots. Issues with the quality of police data are discussed, both as limitations for analysis, and in terms of the need for more accurate and readily available point- level data for ongoing crime analysis and response.

About the Authors

Dr Ian Edelstein is a research specialist at the Human Sciences Research Council. His research interests include interpersonal violence, youth development, and poverty and inequality studies. He specialises 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 – a skill central to GIS analysis of crime data.

Picture: Masixole Feni/GroundUp