Formal evaluation of the impact of barriers and connectors on residential burglars' macro-level offending location choices

Previous research evaluating burglars’ offending location choices hasproduced mixed findings about the influence of physical barriers andconnectors on offender movement patterns. Consequently, this articleutilises the discrete spatial choice approach to formally evaluate theimpact of barriers and connectors on residential burglars’ macro-leveloffending location choices. Data from Perth, Western Australia, demonstratedthat physical barriers and connectors exert significant influenceon offender decision-making at this level, and that the influence of impermeablebarriers increases with proximity of these obstacles to theoffender’s point of origin. These findings provide formalised evidence forthe independent importance of physical barriers and connectors inoffender movement and are discussed with respect to current environmentalcriminology theory.