Explaining crime 'hot spots': why a small number of places have a disproportionate amount of crime

The same culprits target the same victims in the same localities. In the US, 1% of people commit 63% of violent offences

In Ireland, the CSO reoffending statistics state 84% of young adults (under 21) re-offended within three years of being released from prison.

Research from around the world shows crime is spatially clustered in “hot spots”. This finding is so prevalent it is referred to as the “law of crime concentration”. 

In addition, internationally, the distribution of crime is not random, a small proportion of targets and places experience a vastly disproportionate amount of crime — the same offenders and the same victims are involved in the most of the crime that occurs.