data used in this study

Prior to starting this study, a thorough search through the internet server on available datasets is performed to ensure sufficient data are able to be obtained. Because crime data are not widely available to the public in an open source manner, a significant amount of time is required to search for available data on the internet. Our analysis is done using three categories of data: Canadian Census data for the 2001 and 2006 census, crime statistical data from 2002 to 2006 and the local area boundary data for 1999. We first find the crime data from the Vancouver Police Department based on the 22 neighbourhoods distributed across the city of Vancouver. After obtaining the data on crime records in the selected region, we then choose some of the Statistics Canada's 2001 and 2006 Census data from the server in UBC Geography Department to perform this study.

census data

The first type of data discussed in this analysis is Canadian census information that is obtained from the UBC Geography Department. Canada undertakes a census every five years. At the time of this study, the latest available data are for the year 2001 and 2006. This has created a time lag for census data. According to Andresen (2005), "using census data of a different year may obscure relationship between crimes and socio-demographic variables" (Andresen 2005). However, the census provides detailed socio-demographic household and housing information on a five-year cycle. Therefore, data are fresh in comparison with census data used in many criminological studies. For the interest of our study, we have decided to use Dissemination Area (DA) for its accurate representation of the population as it is the smallest discernible spatial unit within the Census data. Below is a list of statistical figures that we have obtained from the Census data:

Year 2001

• Marital Status
• F88 - Multi-Family Households (20% of data)
• F86 - Total number of private households (20% of data)
• Age and Sex
• F1 - Population 2001

Year 2006

• Marital Status
• F99 - Multi-Family Households (20% of data)
• F97 - Total number of private households (20% of data)
• Age and Sex
• F1 - Population 2006

crime data

The crime statistical data is made available by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD). VPD provides local policing services across the city of Vancouver to keep the residents safe with a combination of innovative crime prevention techniques and old-fashioned police work. It releases monthly neighbourhood statistical reports which are gathered from two computer sources: Police Records Information Management Environment (PRIME) and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD). The reports are shown in tabular form and saved in PDF format. However, we can only obtain crime data from the year 2002 and onwards; thus the best we can do is to select 2002 and 2006 crime data for comparing to the 2001 and 2006 census data that we have.

Police Crime Data

• Year 2002, Yearly Neighbourhood Statistics
  • Break and Enter data
  • Theft (Motor Vehicle) data
• Year 2006, Yearly Neighbourhood Statistics
  • Break and Enter data
  • Theft (Motor Vehicle) data

 

background data

In addition to the Census data and the Crime data, we obtain a local area boundary data from the city of Vancouver's "Open Data Catalogue Beta v2" for the use of producing the Vancouver neighbourhood map in GIS. The ease of access and compatibility with Google Map of these datasets is made technologically feasible and easier to implement through the use of GIS which aids us in carrying out our analysis with location referencing.

Background Data

• Local Area Boundary Data
• Base map (DA) from Census 2006

"Changes in housing market allocations result in changes in the demographic and social composition of residential areas which in turn alter the risks, volume, and pattern of crime"

Kate Bowers (1999)