Distribution of Crime Rates in Different Districts in Istanbul

Abstract

Abstract As of 2007, there is no research evaluating the distribution of crime in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul. However, Istanbul includes areas with diverse characteristics and accommodates people from many different origins within the country. The purpose of this piece, therefore, is to inform readers about patterns of crime in a city that has been a major focal point of urban migration since the 1950s. While there were a total of 18 districts in Istanbul before 1987, the number increased to 32 thereafter as a result of the population increase in the city’s smaller settlement areas. In the first stage of the study, the relationship between the distribution of crime and the physical and social structures observed in these 32 districts is evaluated. Patterns between the profile of each district and its respective crime rate are then established. Most of data were taken from the most recent census year, 2000, to serve a more detailed analysis. It is concluded that crime rates were higher in the district...