Burglary is often concentrated at specific places and influenced by social and physical characteristics of the residents. More recently, the importance of identifying crime hotspots has been materialized with the purpose of reducing criminal activities using police resources and crime prevention strategies. The purpose of this exploratory study is to empirically examine spatial configuration of the urban environment and social permeability in relation to the occurrence of burglary in Penang, Malaysia. The study focuses on two types of police recorded crime data based on the Penal Code (Act 574): housebreaking and theft by day and housebreaking and theft by night for a period of a year between 2009-201 Oby producinga crime hotspots map. The crime mapping produced by this study is based on the street segment level. This article examines the distribution of residential burglary based on the crime pattern theory using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. A major finding of this study indicates that the Bayan Baru area in the south part of Penang has experienced among the highest level of residential burglary within the whole Island. This could be due to its proximity to an industrial zone and major roads, as well as being a working class neighbourhood comprising foreign workers with multi-ethnicity population compared to other middle or high-income areas located far from the industrial zone. The findings demonstrate thatthe degree of accessibility affects risks of burglary. Ultimately, the study suggests some recommendations that would contribute in reducing crime events in such areas. © IDOSI Publications, 2011.