Spatio-temporal Changes on Crime Patterns in Saudi Arabia from 2003 - 2012

Abstract

This study aims to determine the trends of overall crime and in six crime categories of drug-related activity, theft, murder, assault, alcohol and outrageous or sex related crime, in Saudi Arabia’s thirteen provinces over a ten year period from 2003 to 2012. Two different approaches were used in the study: spatial and temporal changes of criminal cases. Spatial changes were used to determine the differences over the time period of 2003 – 2012 to show the provincial rates of change for each crime category. Temporal changes were used to compute the trends of overall crime and crimes in the six categories per 1,000 people per year. Results showed that the overall rate of crimes increased steadily until 2008, thereafter, decreasing, except in Northern Borders and Jizan, which recorded the highest rate of crime throughout the period. We have explained that decrease in terms of changes in wages, support for the unemployed and service improvements, as emphasized by previous studies are the primary cause for the decrease. This study includes a detailed discussion to contribute to an understanding of the changes of rates of crime in these categories throughout this period in the thirteen provinces.