GK-12 Sensors!
Portable Module

Title: Community Atlas Project: Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Crime

Author: Stacy Doore

Disciplines: Geography, Earth Science, Computer Science, Social Sciences

Introduction

This module provides a framework for creating a GIS (Geographic Information System) that is used to analyze crime patterns (burglaries) in over a four year period in Bangor Maine. Students will learn basic and advanced skills/concepts used in the mapping and analysis of physical and social geographic data.

Unit Purpose: Crime Analysis is a powerful tool used by law enforcement agencies and local police departments of all sizes to determine where to distribute resources and officers to prevent threats to public safety. Students will work in small groups (2-3) to explore and analyze burglary data provided by Bangor Police Department (PD). The results of student analysis will be presented to Bangor PD to help determine where valuable resources and personnel might better be deployed to reduce burglaries in the Bangor area. It is also a forum to showcase the utility of building the city’s capacity to use GIS in all areas of city planning and management. As of June 2007, the City of Bangor has minimal capacity to use GIS and spatial analysis.

Associated Maine Learning Results

Science and Technology
J. INQUIRY AND PROBLEM SOLVING
Students will apply inquiry and problem-solving approaches in science and technology.
K. SCIENTIFIC REASONING
Students will learn to formulate and justify ideas and to make informed decisions.
L. COMMUNICATION
Students will communicate effectively in the application of science and technology.

Social Studies: Geography
A. SKILLS AND TOOLS
Students will know how to construct and interpret maps and use globes and other geographic tools to locate and derive information about people, places, regions, and environments.
B. HUMAN INTERACTION WITH ENVIRONMENTS
Students will understand and analyze the relationships among people and their physical environments.

Mathematics
C. DATA ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS
Students will understand and apply concepts of data analysis.

National Geography Standards in Unit

• Standard 1: How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information.
• Standard 3: How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
• Standard 18: To apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

Required Equipment

This unit will require extensive time in a PC computer lab equipped with Internet access, ArcGIS 9.2 (with Spatial Analyst Extension), Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. To obtain Arc GIS 9.2 license (single user or network) contact ESRI at www.esri.com.

Learning Objectives

In this unit, the learner during each stage will:

• Visualization Stage
• Prepare primary data for the creation of shapefiles using MS Excel
• Create a geographically accurate shapefile using the Geocode/Address Matching tool in ArcMap
• Create a Kernel Density Estimation of incidence of total burglaries using ArcMap Spatial Analyst tools
• Explore, select and/or create additional data/Shapefiles for analysis
• Analysis Stage
• Generate a hypothesis for the patterns in burglaries based on initial exploration of data
• Add files for Additional Variables for analysis
• Create Time Series Analysis using Kernel Density tool
• Conduct summarization of data, compare against hypothesis and graph results
• Create one ‘big picture’ map layout of variables of interest
• Create 3-4 map layouts visualizing a temporal analysis using the time variable of their choice
• Write up summary of findings (minimum of 200 words) in Word document
• Submit map layouts and graphs jpeg format, submit summaries in Word format, and assist teacher/class in final Report Writing/Presentation of Results
• Additional Assignments:
• Homework: Read and summarize several case studies on the use of crime analysis in police departments. Must answer basic questions such as “What type of analysis was used in this case study?”, “How did they conduct the analysis or what tools needed to be used to generate the results in the case study?”

Students will use a basic format for analysis of geographic data:

• Ask Questions: Generate questions and possible explanations for patterns in crime data
• Acquire data: prepare data, create shapefiles, select additional variables for analysis
• Explore: examine raw data for possible patterns, generate hypothesis for analysis
• Analyze: create kernel density files for use in time series analysis, examine possible co-variates and predictors of patterns in crime, test hypothesis and generate graphs/maps of results
• Act: create report and presentation of results for Bangor PD

Sequential Steps in Unit:

1. Have students create skill lesson or provide direct instruction of skills (See Skill Lesson Template and Handout, Skill Lessons Outline and Rubric.)

   Teacher Generated Skill Lessons:

   • Lesson 1: Using Arc Catalog to create a personal geodatabase (a simple but essential skill)
   • Lesson 8: Performing a Kernel Density Analysis (PPT) (used in measuring intensity of point data)

     [with Word Handout] and Directions for Kernel Density Lab (Word)

   Student Generated Skill Lessons:

   • Lesson 2: Creating a new shapefile, adding it to a map and making a new feature
   • Lesson 3: Using the magnifying and measuring tools
   • Lesson 4: Summarizing Data, Creating and Adding Graphs to Layout
   • Lesson 5: Geocoding and Address matching
   • Lesson 6: Using Georeferencing tool
   • Lesson 7: Using Spatial Analyst
   • Lesson 9: Creating Hyperlinks for map layouts
   • Lesson 10: Using Template in Arc Publisher: Publisher Tutorial and Template Tutorial

2. Examining the crime data with whole class (use crime data in Excel format and sample for crime lesson.dbf with Microsoft Access file Crime)
3. Brainstorming questions about burglary patterns
4. Developing list of student interests and generate student hypotheses for analysis
5. Create Geodatabase, load existing files (projects "roads" and "medoq" among others in the zipped project folder "bangor_data" [This is a large folder and may take a few minutes to download.]). Open/Save ArcMap project Bgr_Crime07(my initials)
6. Geocode/Address Match data (will need "e911" shapefile and "Bangor crime" Excel file)
7. Create kernel density series analysis for three years of data
8. Other factors in patterns in burglaries. Add new features to compare patterns in burglaries (points or area polygons)
9. Buffer new features, calculate percentage of burglaries within buffers, calculate percentage of area represented by buffered areas. Summarize basic relationship between number of burglaries within buffers and area represented by each buffer.
10. Explore possible co-variates such as census variables chosen for hypothesis
11. Create Kernel density time series for selected time unit (month/day/hour)
12. Determine if there is enough evidence to support hypothesis
13. Determine High Risk areas/times and create graphs to go along with maps (will need Bangor census Excel file)
14. Present results to Police Department administration (Sample presentation)

Lesson Sequence for Crime Unit (based on 40 minute period)

Depending on how you want to conduct the unit you can either teach the skill lessons (1-10) through direct instruction or have students prepare skill lessons for the class. Either way, it is recommended that you go through these skill labs before you actually start the Crime Analysis unit. Total estimated time (based on 40 minute periods) for entire unit including having students generate their own skill lessons is 6 weeks. If you decide to teach skill lessons through direct instruction, it might take approximately 4 weeks to complete unit. This is all depending on instructor and student proficiency with Arc GIS 9.2. This unit is not recommended for instructors or students just starting to learn to work with this software or the basics of GIS.

Possible Timetable for Unit:

Additional Resources

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