Thursday, March 05, 2009

Simulating Crime with Agent-Based Models

Crime is seen in all cities but understanding crime is extremely complex as it is highly diverse and has many causes. A greater understanding of such phenomena is crucial for improving polices and developing effective crime prevention strategies. The use of agent-based modelling allows one to study individuals who are involved in each crime event and how these individuals interact with each other and their environment.

Nick Malleson of the CrimeSim Blog has had some good posts recently on his recent research regarding crime and agent-based modelling. He has released a new working paper entitled "Simulating Burglary with an Agent-Based Model" (click here) which focuses on the inclusion of the PECS (Physical conditions, Emotional states, Cognitive capabilities and Social status) framework for simulating human behaviour within agent-based models and how this differs from previous approaches to crime modelling. Nick also has some excellent posts/tutorials on using GIS and Repast Simphony (Click here to see them).


Simulating Burglary with an Agent-Based Model prototype using NetLogo by Nick Malleson.

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