Measuring Quality of Life with GIS: Measuring Quality of Life with GIS: Moving Beyond Part I CrimeMoving Beyond Part I Crime

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Rebecca A. ColwellRebecca A. Colwell

University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota

What you are going to see today…What you are going to see today…

Why police departments assess quality of lifeWhy police departments assess quality of life How these assessments are commonlyHow these assessments are commonly

Why there is need for alternative approachesWhy there is need for alternative approaches The role of GISThe role of GIS A Quality of Life IndexA Quality of Life Index Case Study: Lincoln, NebraskaCase Study: Lincoln, Nebraska

determined from crime datadetermined from crime data

Why do Law Enforcement Agencies Why do Law Enforcement Agencies need to Determine Quality of Life?need to Determine Quality of Life?

FBI - Unified Crime ReportsFBI - Unified Crime Reports

Deployment of police resourcesDeployment of police resources

Grant allocation Grant allocation

Public awarenessPublic awareness

What socio-economic factors What socio-economic factors determine Quality of Life?determine Quality of Life?

Cleanliness (i.e. litter, Cleanliness (i.e. litter, street sweeping) street sweeping)

Community ParticipationCommunity Participation Crime ratesCrime rates Culture and RecreationCulture and Recreation EconomyEconomy EducationEducation Family and YouthFamily and Youth HealthHealth HousingHousing

InfrastructureInfrastructure Natural/Physical/Social Natural/Physical/Social

EnvironmentEnvironment Pedestrian FriendlinessPedestrian Friendliness PopulationPopulation Resource ConsumptionResource Consumption Responsive GovernmentResponsive Government SafetySafety TransportationTransportation

Determining Quality of Life from Determining Quality of Life from Law Enforcement Data…Law Enforcement Data…

BurglaryBurglary

LarcenyLarceny

Larceny from AutoLarceny from Auto

ArsonArson

How has quality of life been determined in the past?How has quality of life been determined in the past?

What are Part I crimes?What are Part I crimes? MurderMurder

RapeRape

RobberyRobbery

Aggravated AssaultAggravated Assault

Determining Quality of Life from Determining Quality of Life from Law Enforcement Data…Law Enforcement Data…

What also affects quality of life? What also affects quality of life? FlashersFlashers

Window PeekersWindow Peekers

ProstitutionProstitution

Child AbuseChild Abuse

ViolenceViolence

Broken-Window theory Broken-Window theory (Wilson & Kelling 1982)(Wilson & Kelling 1982)

““serious street crime flourishes in areas in which serious street crime flourishes in areas in which disorderly behavior goes unchecked”disorderly behavior goes unchecked”

Community-Oriented Policing Community-Oriented Policing

DrugsDrugs

GangsGangs

Residential BurglaryResidential Burglary

Abandoned/Suspicious VehiclesAbandoned/Suspicious Vehicles

SuicideSuicide

Use the Power of GIS to Use the Power of GIS to HelpHelp Build Build a Safer Community!a Safer Community!

I conducted my study with one major objective in I conducted my study with one major objective in

mind: mind: to determine the indicators available in law to determine the indicators available in law

enforcement datasets that reflect the impact of enforcement datasets that reflect the impact of

crime on daily livingcrime on daily living

GIS helps stimulate and assist the processGIS helps stimulate and assist the process

Assess available dataAssess available data Incident reportsIncident reports Calls for service recordsCalls for service records

Joining the calls for service records and Joining the calls for service records and incident report data to increase incident report data to increase accuracy and efficiencyaccuracy and efficiency Case numbers serve as the basis of the joinCase numbers serve as the basis of the join Case numbers represent unique and unchanging Case numbers represent unique and unchanging

information about all documented occurrences in information about all documented occurrences in LincolnLincoln

If a call for service incident results in an incident If a call for service incident results in an incident report, the case number documenting the incident report, the case number documenting the incident remains the same in both datasets.remains the same in both datasets.

Data Joins… Data Joins…

Full Outer Joins…Full Outer Joins…

Definition: A full outer join is a relational Definition: A full outer join is a relational database technique that allows two tables, database technique that allows two tables, of matching and nonmatching records, to of matching and nonmatching records, to be combined into one.be combined into one.

Not available in popular GIS programsNot available in popular GIS programsNot to be confused with Not to be confused with LeftLeft Outer Joins Outer Joins

Excludes crime types that seem to have little connection to Excludes crime types that seem to have little connection to neighborhood lifeneighborhood life ShopliftingShoplifting Check offensesCheck offenses Commercial burglaryCommercial burglary Drive-offs from self-service gas pumpsDrive-offs from self-service gas pumps

Includes crime type codes for Includes crime type codes for AssaultAssault Child abuseChild abuse Residential burglaryResidential burglary VandalismVandalism SuicideSuicide Drug offensesDrug offenses

Query disregards location codes for Query disregards location codes for Medical facilitiesMedical facilities Treatment centersTreatment centers Correctional facilities Correctional facilities Police substationsPolice substations

Use the Power of GIS to Use the Power of GIS to HelpHelp Build Build a Safer Community!a Safer Community!

A Picture Is Worth 1,000 WordsA Picture Is Worth 1,000 WordsBut only if you know what those words mean…

All Part I Crime DensityLincoln, NE

Jail &Detox center

Police Station

RetailStores

Downtown

Northeast H.S.

LargeSupermarket

A Picture Is Worth 1,000 WordsA Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words

ResidentialNeighborhoods

Quality of Life IndexLincoln, NE

Jail &Detox center

Police Station

RetailStores

Downtown

Northeast H.S.

LargeSupermarket

What I saw on the internet…What I saw on the internet…What is this really telling us about these cities?What is this really telling us about these cities?

What I saw on the internet…What I saw on the internet…

What I saw on the internet…What I saw on the internet…

Exceptional reporting and explanation of Exceptional reporting and explanation of crime datacrime dataSt. Paul, MN Police Department – St. Paul, MN Police Department –

2002 Crime Report2002 Crime ReportCity of Beaverton – City of Beaverton – Crime Maps & StatisticsCrime Maps & Statistics

““Sometimes, crime statistics can be misleading. Sometimes, crime statistics can be misleading. They only represent reported crime. In some areas They only represent reported crime. In some areas residents do not report crime and in others, almost residents do not report crime and in others, almost all crime is reported. If you are using crime all crime is reported. If you are using crime statistics to select a new place to live, don't rely on statistics to select a new place to live, don't rely on statistics alone. “statistics alone. “

Legal disclaimers are not enough…Legal disclaimers are not enough…

People want to believe what they see on a crime People want to believe what they see on a crime mapmapExplain the data – crime mapping is a tool, not Explain the data – crime mapping is a tool, not

an endan endUse caution – exercise restraint in Use caution – exercise restraint in

interpretationinterpretationEncourage dialog between administrators and Encourage dialog between administrators and

street officersstreet officers

Quality of Life Index (QOLI) Quality of Life Index (QOLI) DisclaimersDisclaimers

QOLI corrects some of the issues that arise when QOLI corrects some of the issues that arise when assessing the effects of crime/disorder on a community, assessing the effects of crime/disorder on a community, but some issues remain untouchedbut some issues remain untouched

Example: Not all Crimes are the same – larceny counts Example: Not all Crimes are the same – larceny counts the same as murderthe same as murder

Another consideration would be to introduce other non-Another consideration would be to introduce other non-police variables into the equationpolice variables into the equation Immunization ratesImmunization rates Standardized reading test scoresStandardized reading test scores IncomeIncome AgeAge Family statusFamily status

The take home messageThe take home message Move beyond Part I offenses when conducting a quality of life Move beyond Part I offenses when conducting a quality of life

analysesanalyses Part I offenses such as shoplifting, check offenses, drive-offs from Part I offenses such as shoplifting, check offenses, drive-offs from

self-service gas pumps, do not adequately reflect quality of lifeself-service gas pumps, do not adequately reflect quality of life Certain locations act as incident magnets – if left in a quality of Certain locations act as incident magnets – if left in a quality of

life analysis they serve to pinpoint where hospitals, jails and life analysis they serve to pinpoint where hospitals, jails and treatment facilities exist within a city, rather than emphasizing the treatment facilities exist within a city, rather than emphasizing the neighborhoods in critical conditionneighborhoods in critical condition

Any agency can create a department-specific QOLI based on Any agency can create a department-specific QOLI based on available dataavailable data

QOLI is not meant to replace the input of community officers, but QOLI is not meant to replace the input of community officers, but rather to complement their efforts with a form of community-rather to complement their efforts with a form of community-oriented crime analysis.oriented crime analysis.

colwell@geog.umn.educolwell@geog.umn.edu