This research focuses on two fundamental aspects of hot spot policing that have been widely neglected by previous scholarly research. These aspects include the adequate concentration of crime at a smaller geographical unit to be considered a crime hot spot, and the cost-benefit implication of focusing limited police resources on such a smaller place in an effort to prevent criminal activities. Substantial limitations in call-t- service data from police departments raise concern on the purported concentration of crime at places that warrant such strategy in the first place. We will examine data from the Cincinnati Police Department and propose guidelines on adopting a threshold when designating places as crime hot spots, using time and cost-benefit analysis as key determinants.