Comparative Study of Crime in Informal Settlement Areas (Case Study: Bisim and Islam abad in Zanjan City)

Crime event and fear of crime are major problems in Bisim and Islam abad informal settlements in Zanjan. This study aimed at comparative study of crime types and rates and geographical patterns of crime in these urban regions. At least common physical features، which are related to crime occurrence in these areas، had been studied. This study based on analytic-comparative method. The essential data has been collected through documentary and survey methods. In order to identifying and analyzing the spatial patterns of crime، some statistical and graphic methods have been applied through GIS، Case، and Crime Analysis software. The results show that more than 22. 3% of total crimes of Zanjan city have been reported from these small areas (3. 7% of the total areas of Zanjan city). The patterns of crime in these districts are all significantly different as drug smuggling، violence and brawl are the major crimes in Bisim while the significant crimes in Islam abad are illegal dealing and goods smuggling. According to the statistical method، spatial distributions of crimes in these areas are significantly clustered and the major hot spots of Zanjan city have been identified first in Bisim and second in Islam abad. Having high population density، these areas face many physical malformations and restrictions in urban services that affect geographical patterns of crime in these regions. Regarding enabling strategies، allocating some essential urban services، making balance in the type and composition of urban land use، improving the physical conditions of streets and setting regular police patrolling could help reducing crime in these districts.