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Gang Activity and Overall Levels of Crime: A New Mapping Tool for Defining Areas of Gang Activity Using Police Records

NCJ Number
185459
Journal
Journal of Quantitative Criminology Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2000 Pages: 369-383
Author(s)
Richard Block
Date Published
September 2000
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article investigates using police records for defining areas of gang activity.
Abstract
A new method for defining gang activity areas used the Chicago Police Department's 1996 incident files. The method was based upon standard geographic techniques and used a uniform grid that divided the city into 150-m squares. The technique may be useful both in describing gang activity areas and in describing the spatial distribution of crime in large cities. There was a strong relationship between the number of gangs active in an area and the general level of criminal activity. The article suggests that the next step in assessing this technique would be to compare the statistically derived gang activity areas with the experience of community residents and police officers and to replicate the analysis on more recent data to check for changes in areas of activity and conflict. In addition, thematic mapping of the grid cells and various techniques of interpolation and density smoothing should be compared to interpolation using triangulation with smoothing and to the gang turfs described by street police, community residents and gang members to determine which are most useful for police work and crime prevention. Notes, tables, figures, references