Dynamic Geography: The Changing Definition of Neighborhood

Marc S. Buslik, Chicago Police Department, University of Illinois at Chicago

The concept of place matters to the police. This article describes how the police use geographic semantics to define neighborhoods and form practical solutions to resource deployment. It also addresses the nebulous concept of neighborhood and how that term connotes different meanings to citizens, elected officials, and the police, all of which form the basis for deploying police resources that meet the needs of all constituents and community stakeholders.