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Crime by the Moon
Introduction
The impact of the Sun and Moon andthe times in which they influence theamount of natural light, can have asignificant impact on rural crimes.Various groups of criminals have vastlydifferent
Modus Operandi 
in executingtheir criminal plans.By comparing recorded incidents withthe historic data pertaining to thenatural light conditions of the day, apossible link can be established andtrends may emerge. These tendenciescan then be scrutinized to predict there-occurrence of such an event.The limitations of such an analysis arethat the weather conditions, which mayhave affected the conditions during acriminal event, could have played a rolein the planning of such. As an example,a cloudy or rainy day may havecompletely obscured the Sun or Moonand the available light may not haveplayed a role at all. Similarly, a payday,a weekend or a public holiday may havebeen the only incentive that played asignificant role in the planned executionof crimes.
 
 
Images: Courtesy of NASAWritten by: Alex Volker 
The times of the rise and set of both theSun and the Moon varies according toits location, as result of the curvature of the Earth. The twilight periods may alsoprovide some additional lighting even inthe absence of the Moon or Sun.By using enough data to analyzestatistics, and keeping the above lightindependent variables in mind,propensity to natural light drivenoccurrences may emerge.
The Moon and Crime
 
It is in the nature of criminals to seek ameans of covertly escaping detection inorder to perpetrate their nefariousdeeds. To do this, they must find a wayto operate with the least amount of riskto themselves to avoid being detectedand thereafter make a clean getaway.
 
 
Images: Courtesy of NASAWritten by: Alex Volker 
The cover of night is often the mostconvenient and least risky time tocommit crime. During daylight hours,with visibility being high and normallyhaving many witnesses around, thechances are higher of being caught.The challenges faced when sneakingaround at night are, amongst others,also visibility. In especially a ruralsetting, with the lack of artificial light,which could easily draw attention to aperson; it is difficult to navigate to thescene of the crime and thereafter escape before any wrongdoing hasbeen noticed.Society has become so dependant onelectricity, that it is difficult to imaginelife without these creature comforts.Less privileged people, most notably inrural settings, live mostly in the absenceof artificial light. These groups havelearnt to know and understand how theMoon provides light in the absence of Sunlight and how the different phases of the Moon illuminate the otherwise darksky at night.Among these communities, criminalstake advantage of such knowledge toorchestrate and plan a strategy. Indoing so, they can cover greatdistances on foot to their destinations,without much of a chance of being
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Jen MacLeod

Excellent piece! Very interesting

reply03 / 03 / 2009
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