What does the 80/20 rule suggest in relation to crime outcomes?

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, suggests that a small percentage of causes or inputs can lead to a large percentage of outcomes or results. In the context of crime analysis, this means that a significant portion of crime outcomes arises from a relatively small number of contributing factors or causes. Understanding this dynamic is crucial for law enforcement and crime prevention strategies, as focusing resources on those critical few factors can lead to more effective responses to crime.

In crime analysis practice, this principle can be applied to identify and target the most pressing causes of crime in a community, allowing for the implementation of interventions that may significantly reduce crime rates. While other options may speak to various distributions of crime or its effects, the focus on cause-and-effect relationships is what aligns closely with the essence of the 80/20 rule.