CONTENTS -- Tables -- Figures -- Acknowledgement -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Introduction -- Statement of Problem -- Theoretical Orientation -- Summary -- Chapter 2. Longitudinal Analysis of Crime Rates at the Neighborhood Level -- Introduction -- Explaining Crime Waves -- Analysis of Change -- Research Questions -- Data -- Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis -- Method I: Growth Curve Models -- Results: Growth Curve Models -- Method II: Spatial Panel Model -- Results: Spatial Panel Model -- Summary -- Chapter 3. An Analysis of Spatially Varying Associations between Neighborhood Characteristics and Crime -- Introduction -- Research Question -- Spatial Dependency and Spatial Heterogeneity -- Theoretical Expectations regarding Spatial Variability -- Methods -- Data -- Results for Spatial Regression Models -- Results for Geographically Weighted Regression Models -- Summary -- Chapter 4. A Spatial Analysis of Criminal Offenders' Target Selection -- Introduction -- Neighborhood Characteristics and Crime -- Journeys to Crime -- Target Selection as Rational Choice -- A Summary of Literature Review -- Hypotheses -- Data -- Method -- Results -- Summary -- Chapter 5. Conclusion -- What is Special about Space in Criminology? -- Theoretical Implications of the Longitudinal Analysis of Crime -- Theoretical Implications of the Analysis of Spatial Dependency and Spatial Heterogeneity -- Theoretical Implications for Criminal Offenders' Target Selection -- Policy Implications -- Limitations of the Current Research and Directions for Future Research -- Appendices -- A. Maps of Seattle Data -- B. Maps of Philadelphia Data -- C. Maps of Glendale Data -- References -- Index.