Social Simulation and Analysis of the Dynamics of Criminal Hot Spots

Contains fulltext : 194199.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Within the field of Criminology, the spatio-temporal dynamics of crime are an important subject of study. In this area, typical questions are how the behaviour of offenders, targets, and guardians can be explained and predicted, as well as the emergence and displacement of criminal hot spots. In this article we present a combination of software tools that can be used as an experimental environment to address such questions. In particular, these tools comprise an agent-based simulation model, a verification tool, and a visualisation tool. The agent-based simulation model specifically focuses on the interplay between hot spots and reputation. Using this environment, a large number of simulation runs have been performed, of which results have been formally analysed. Based on these results, we argue that the presented environment offers a valuable approach to analyse the dynamics of criminal hot spots.19 p

Caught in the Act: Investigating Crime by Agent-Based Simulation

Treur, J. [Promotor]Klein, M.C.A. [Copromotor

Gutted to round-weight conversion factors for anglerfish (Lophius poscatorius and Lophius budegassa)

In response to a request from the Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources and fishing industry, the conversion factors used to estimate round or live weights from gutted anglerfish were re-examined. A number of data sources was available from survey data, port sampling and observer trips. In some cases, the liver is left in place when the fish are gutted. For these landings a separate conversion factor is necessary. The conversion factors were found to be independent of fish size, however, some significant differences between the data sources were found. Significant differences between the conversion factors of the two species of anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius and L. budegassa) were also found. As commercial landings of anglerfish are not usually speciated, a generic conversion factor was estimated for Lophius spp. by combining the data for both species after weighting by the estimated proportions of the two species in the Irish landings. The resultant conversion factor for fully gutted fish is 1.23 and 1.17 when the liver is left in place; both estimates are lower than the current Irish factor of 1.28.Funder: Marine Institut