Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in Criminal Justice." Includes bibliographical references (p. 186-194).

The relationship between mass-transit and the concentration of burglary and robbery crimes is inconsistent within the available literature in environmental criminology. A number of studies have provided evidence of crime concentration at and near mass transit locations where paths intersect, referred to as a node. These empirical studies bring in environmental criminology theory with the idea that crime is clustered, and the pattern of the concentrations is substantially influenced by how and why people travel and move in a city. It is suggested that public transit allows for a large proportion of the population to move around the community along a restricted number of destinations and paths; therefore, this concentration of population frames opportunities, and increases overall concentrations of crime. Establishments and environments surrounding transit nodes may act as crime generators or attractors, as a high influx of people are drawn to the area via nearby transit services. More recent literature has identified contrasting results, finding that crime does not concentrate near mass transit areas. In some cases, transit facilities appear to act as protective nodes, with lower counts of crime occurring in and around these locales. Given the conflicting results of existing research about crime at and near transit nodes, this study advances work in environmental criminology by analyzing the concentration of burglary and robbery events in Portland, Oregon. Recognizing that crime concentrations may vary depending on the level of analysis, this study explores crime concentrations at multiple levels of analysis. At the macro-level, this study examines burglaries and robberies across Portland as a whole to determine whether these events concentrate around mass transit nodes, when compared to other areas of the city. The meso-level examines within the broad category of mass transit, to explore whether burglary and robbery events cluster differently around different types of mass transit. Finally, the micro scale investigates the five highest-crime transit nodes to explore how burglary and robbery events concentrate in close proximity to these important locations. This study finds that while crime concentrates at higher levels surrounding mass transit nodes within Portland, the patterns of this concentration changes as the spatial level of analysis changes.

Text in English / An improved roads and public transport system also referred to in this research as road-transport, is strategic to economic growth in countries worldwide. This is why the improvements relating thereto have been prioritised by governments in developing economies such as South Africa. The problem that therefore informed the research in this study is that ever since the improvements on road-transport in South Africa, the implications thereof on the role of the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) have not been studied, to understand the associated dynamics. The dynamics relate to how the road-transport improvements have swayed the role of law enforcement in the City of Tshwane. To unpack the dynamics, the study posed the question: What are the implications of the road-transport improvements on the role of the TMPD? In an attempt to answer this question, the study premised itself on exploring one primary aim, which is: to explore the implications of the road-transport improvements, on the role of the TMPD. To operationalise this aim, the study used three research objectives, which are: to describe the road-transport improvements In South Africa; to explain the role of the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department; as well as to identify factors that hinders the effectiveness of the TMPD. The research used a qualitative approach wherein primary data was collected using interviews. The research showed that road-transport improvements in South Africa can be summarised into two categories. These are traffic improvements and improvements in public transport. The research also found that the role of the TMPD include traffic policing, by-law enforcement, crime prevention, crime Investigation and crowd management. Although the role of the TMPD is regulated properly, the study shows that this law enforcement agency was constrained by a number of challenges. The challenges include: lack of clarity in their crime prevention mandate; limited investigative powers; balancing their enforcement and crime prevention mandates; poor training in crowd management; staff shortages; resource problems; and administrative challenges. To deal with the problems thus requires strong management and leadership within the institution. / Police Practice / M. Tech. (Policing)