Policing by Place: A Proposed Multi-level Analysis of the Effectiveness of Risk Terrain Modeling for Allocating Police Resources, 2014-2015 [New York City] (ICPSR 36899)

Version Date: Jul 26, 2018

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Principal Investigator(s):
Douglas Williamson, New York City Police Department

https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36899.v1

Version V1

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Summary

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

This study contains data from a project by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) involving GIS data on environmental risk factors that correlate with criminal behavior. The general goal of this project was to test whether risk terrain modeling (RTM) could accurately and effectively predict different crime types occurring across New York City. The ultimate aim was to build an enforcement prediction model to test strategies for effectiveness before deploying resources. Three separate phases were completed to assess the effectiveness and applicability of RTM to New York City and the NYPD. A total of four boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens), four patrol boroughs (Brooklyn North, Brooklyn South, Queens North, Queens South), and four precincts (24th, 44th, 73rd, 110th) were examined in 6-month time periods between 2014 and 2015. Across each time period, a total of three different crime types were analyzed: street robberies, felony assaults, and shootings.

The study includes three shapefiles relating to New York City Boundaries, four shapefiles relating to criminal offenses, and 40 shapefiles relating to risk factors.

Citation

Williamson, Douglas. Policing by Place: A Proposed Multi-level Analysis of the Effectiveness of Risk Terrain Modeling for Allocating Police Resources, 2014-2015 [New York City]. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2018-07-26. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36899.v1

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Funding

United States Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. National Institute of Justice (2013IJCX0053)

Subject Terms

Geographic Coverage

Smallest Geographic Unit

Precinct

Restrictions

Access to these data is restricted. Users interested in obtaining these data must complete a Restricted Data Use Agreement, specify the reason for the request, and obtain IRB approval or notice of exemption for their research.

Distributor(s)

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
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Time Period(s)

2014-01 -- 2015-12

Date of Collection

2014-01 -- 2015-12

Data Collection Notes

  1. These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

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Study Purpose

The general goal of this project was to test whether risk terrain modeling (RTM) could accurately and effectively predict different crime types occurring across New York City. The ultimate aim was to build an enforcement prediction model to test strategies for effectiveness before deploying resources.

Study Design

Phase I involved identifying risk factors and testing the risk terrain modeling (RTM) models for each study area. RTM models were created in 6-month time periods across two years (2014-2015). Data from the first half of the calendar year (i.e., January - June 2014) were used to develop the RTMs for the selected crimes (robbery, assault, shootings). RTMs were developed for each crime type for the four boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens), four patrol boroughs (Queens North, Queens South, Brooklyn North, and Brooklyn South), and four precincts (24th, 44th, 73rd, and 110th). These models were then tested against the data in the second half of the year (i.e., July - December 2014), as well as the first and second halves of the following year (i.e., 2015).

Phase II sought to advance the RTM to a more detailed level by examining the groups of risk factors within each verified risk model that best supported specific crime conditions. In RTM, any area with all of the risk factors present (or at their highest levels), would be considered a prime location for the commitment of additional police resources. However, few areas were expected to have all the risk factors in the model. As a result, it was deemed important to determine whether the presence of different combinations of risk factors elevated the risk for a future crime equally.

For Phase III, enforcement-level data was incorporated into the verified RTM models. This was done to untangle the nature of the interaction of police tactics with crime in the context of risk factors. The goal of this phase was to determine whether certain police tactics had a mitigating effect on crime, and under what contextual circumstances they had the greatest effect. While the original plan was to implement these analyses for both significant precinct and borough RTM models, only precinct models were examined.

Sample

This study is not a sample.

Time Method

Cross-sectional

Universe

Criminal offenses in New York City.

Unit(s) of Observation

Incident, Place

Data Type(s)

Description of Variables

NYC Boundary Data consists of 3 GIS shapefiles

Borough.shp GIS shapefile (n=5, variables=3) contains variables on borough boundaries of NYC.

PatrolBorough.shp GIS shapefile (n=8, variables=3) contains variables on service area boundaries for NYC's police patrol boroughs.

Precinct.shp GIS shapefile (n=77, variables=3) contains variables on service area boundaries for NYC's police precincts.

NYPD Midblocked Data consists of 4 GIS shape files

Assaults20142015.shp GIS shape file (n=40640, variables=4) contains variables on assault incidents in NYC from 2014-2015.

CSummons20142015.shp GIS shape file (n=657225, variables=3) contains variables on locations of C Summonses in NYC from 2014-2015.

Robberies20142015.shp GIS shape file (n=12788, variables=4) contains variables on robbery incidents in NYC from 2014-2015.

Shootings20142015.shp GIS shape file (n=2310, variables=3) contains variables on shooting incidents in NYC from 2014-2015.

Risk Factor Data consists of 40 GIS shape files with location coordinates for named places in each category.

AdultClubs.shp GIS shape file (n=44, variables=3)

Banks.shp GIS shape file (n=1775, variables=3)

Bars.shp GIS shape file (n=6297, variables=4)

BeerWineStores.shp GIS shape file (n=7127, variables=4)

Billiards.shp GIS shape file (n=43, variables=5)

BusStops.shp GIS shape file (n=15900, variables=3)

Cabaret.shp GIS shape file (n=25, variables=4)

CheckCashing.shp GIS shape file (n=445, variables=4)

ChemicalDep.shp GIS shape file (n=382, variables= 3)

Cinemas.shp GIS shape file (n=61, variables=3)

CollegesUniv.shp GIS shape file (n=123, variables=3)

CorrectionFacilities.shp GIS shape file (n=20, variables=3)

CourtHouse.shp GIS shape file (n=47, variables=3)

DetentionFacilities.shp GIS shape file (n=42, variables=3)

FoodPantry.shp GIS shape file (n=665, variables=3)

FoodStamp.shp GIS shape file (n=34, variables=3)

FosterInstitution.shp GIS shape file (n=21, variables=3)

GasStations.shp GIS shape file (n=813, variables=3)

HomelessFacilities.shp GIS shape file (n=453, variables=3)

Hospitals.shp GIS shape file (n=62, variables=3)

HotelsMotels.shp GIS shape file (n=608, variables=3)

Laundry.shp GIS shape file (n=4505, variables=5)

LiquorStore.shp GIS shape file (n=1280, variables=4)

LIRR_Stations.shp GIS shape file (n=26, variables=3)

MentalHealthFacility.shp GIS shape file (n=843, variables=3)

MetroNorth_Stations.shp GIS shape file (n=15, variables=3)

NYCHADevelopments.shp GIS shape file (n=339, variables=3)

ParkingLot.shp GIS shape file (n=20714, variables=2)

Parks.shp GIS shape file (n=2233, variables=3)

Pawnbroker.shp GIS shape file (n=5520, variables=5)

PedestrianPlaza.shp GIS shape file (n=46, variables=3)

Pharmacies.shp GIS shape file (n=2028, variables=3)

PostalFacilities.shp GIS shape file (n=323, variables=3)

PrecinctHouse.shp GIS shape file (n=77, variables=3)

PublicSchools.shp GIS shape file (n=1811, variables=3)

RecCenters.shp GIS shape file (n=44, variables=3)

Restaurants.shp GIS shape file (n=25481, variables=3)

ScrapMetal.shp GIS shape file (n=192, variables=3)

SubwayEntrances.shp GIS shape file (n=1904, variables=4)

TouristAttractions.shp GIS shape file (n=687, variables=3)

Response Rates

Not applicable

Presence of Common Scales

none

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Original Release Date

2018-07-26

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Notes

  • These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

  • The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.

  • One or more files in this data collection have special restrictions. Restricted data files are not available for direct download from the website; click on the Restricted Data button to learn more.