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Understanding crime in the context of COVID-19: the case of the Western Cape Province of South Africa

Thesis (MMil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.

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Main Author: Mayoyo, Nkosana Prince
Other Authors: Henrico, Ivan
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2023
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access_status_str Open Access
author Mayoyo, Nkosana Prince
author2 Henrico, Ivan
author_browse Henrico, Ivan
Mayoyo, Nkosana Prince
author_facet Henrico, Ivan
Mayoyo, Nkosana Prince
author_sort Mayoyo, Nkosana Prince
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MMil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/128922
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:43:48.768Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2023
publishDateRange 2023
publishDateSort 2023
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/128922 Understanding crime in the context of COVID-19: the case of the Western Cape Province of South Africa Mayoyo, Nkosana Prince Henrico, Ivan Mtshawu, Babalwa Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Military Sciences. School for Geospatial Studies and Information Systems. Crime analysis -- South Africa -- Western Cape Geographic information systems Spatial analysis (Statistics) Criminal statistics -- South Africa -- Western Cape COVID-19 (Disease) -- Influence Spatial analysis (Statistics) South African Police Service SAPS (South African Police Service) UCTD Thesis (MMil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Crime mapping and geographic information system (GIS) analysis have become essential tools for law enforcement agencies and researchers in understanding, tracking, and combating crime. This master's thesis presents a comprehensive study conducted over three years (2019 to 2022) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The study aims to map and analyse crime incidents across all categories as reported by the South African Police Service (SAPS). This research employs two widely used spatial analysis techniques within GIS, namely the Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and the Getis-Ord Gi* hotspot analysis tool, both available in ArcGIS. The primary focus is on evaluating the effectiveness of these tools in identifying and visualising criminal hotspots within the Western Cape Province. The duration of the study spans from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2022, encompassing the period during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It's important to note that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated regulations did not have universally accepted starting and ending dates, and various countries implemented and lifted restrictions at different times. To provide clarity, footnotes are included to specify a) the global temporal parameters of the pandemic1, b) any adjusted parameters within South Africa2, c) the precise temporal parameters of this study, and the rationale for selecting these particular dates3. This study examines crime patterns during the period of extraordinary security regulations and beyond, acknowledging the dynamic nature of the pandemic's timeline. Analogously, like WWI and WWII, wars may begin before formal declarations and persist beyond cease-fires, yet universally accepted calendar starting and ending dates are used for reference. Key findings reveal that while the pandemic led to an overall decrease in crime rates due to restrictions on movement and other factors, certain areas, notably the City of Cape Town Metropolitan, remained persistent hotspots for criminal activity throughout the period under investigation. The analysis further highlights the dominance of specific crime categories, particularly crimes against persons (CAP) and other serious crimes (OSC), which contribute significantly to the province's overall crime landscape. The results of this study hold valuable implications for law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and local authorities. By visualising and understanding spatial crime patterns, stakeholders can make informed decisions on resource allocation and crime prevention strategies, which ultimately reduce criminal activities and enhance public safety. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge in the field of crime mapping and GIS analysis, particularly in the context of a global pandemic. It also underscores the importance of integrating spatial analysis techniques into crime prevention and law enforcement efforts. This study offers a valuable framework for future research and crime management policy development. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Masters 2023-11-20T09:12:34Z 2024-01-08T15:55:34Z 2023-11-20T09:12:34Z 2024-01-08T15:55:34Z 2023-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128922 en Stellenbosch University xii, 125 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Crime analysis -- South Africa -- Western Cape
Geographic information systems
Spatial analysis (Statistics)
Criminal statistics -- South Africa -- Western Cape
COVID-19 (Disease) -- Influence
Spatial analysis (Statistics)
South African Police Service
SAPS (South African Police Service)
UCTD
Mayoyo, Nkosana Prince
Understanding crime in the context of COVID-19: the case of the Western Cape Province of South Africa
title Understanding crime in the context of COVID-19: the case of the Western Cape Province of South Africa
title_full Understanding crime in the context of COVID-19: the case of the Western Cape Province of South Africa
title_fullStr Understanding crime in the context of COVID-19: the case of the Western Cape Province of South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Understanding crime in the context of COVID-19: the case of the Western Cape Province of South Africa
title_short Understanding crime in the context of COVID-19: the case of the Western Cape Province of South Africa
title_sort understanding crime in the context of covid 19 the case of the western cape province of south africa
topic Crime analysis -- South Africa -- Western Cape
Geographic information systems
Spatial analysis (Statistics)
Criminal statistics -- South Africa -- Western Cape
COVID-19 (Disease) -- Influence
Spatial analysis (Statistics)
South African Police Service
SAPS (South African Police Service)
UCTD
url https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128922
work_keys_str_mv AT mayoyonkosanaprince understandingcrimeinthecontextofcovid19thecaseofthewesterncapeprovinceofsouthafrica