...Correlations Between Population Demographics and Crime Table of Contents Executive Summary: 3 Project Goal: 3 Data Description: 3 Techniques Used: 4 Clustering: 4 Segment Profile: 5 Regression: 7 Decision Tree: 8 Model Comparison: 9 Knowledge, interpretation and conclusion 9 Executive Summary: This summary presents findings of the data mining techniques used in the Crime Statistics by City dataset. The aim of the project is to enhance the knowledge and hands on experience on EM tool and to make appropriate projections about crime rates in cities. Project Goal: Our goal is to determine the similarities between cities and their demographics. Data Description: Our dataset contains demographic data based on race, income, and other factors by city and includes different types of crime. The types include gun owners, convicted felons, race, and income. Examples of cities include Detroit, Chicago, New York, Houston, and Spring Field. Techniques Used: Clustering: As seen above, a large number of cities have similar demographics and were clustered together. Cluster 19 and cluster 7 hold the majority of cities. Population is the most important variable in determining cluster association. Segment Profile: The segment profile suggests that segment 19 holds a higher mean income than that of the overall population. Segment 7 is the opposite, it holds a lower mean income than the overall population. This suggests that …. Segment 19 and...
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...Crime and Punishment sect. 00002 | Racial Profiling | Negative effects of race on law enforcement | Presented to Dr. Gina De Iaco | Presented by Lara Ipekian 1228828 | 11/7/2014 | | Abstract Practicing racism is the act of discriminating due to different pigmentation of skin color or culture. Racial profiling is when a person of legal authority uses their racist prejudices on a civilian while making decisions. It is hypothesized that racial minorities of a population are judged prior to knowing details about the case due to the color of their skin. There are numerous researchers who have provided enough information in order to prove that racial profiling is still an issue for either juror, policeman or any other figure of legal status. Studies show that minorities are treated unfairly in court and on the roads since the first gun law. Introduction The following dissertation will be discussing the issue of unequal distribution of law enforcement in correlation to racism. It is an atrocity that a horrible mentality created centuries ago is still being used against ethnicities in the 21st century. All races should be considered as equal to one another, whether white, black, yellow or even purple. We, humans, share the same planet. Under our skin, we share identical functioning. Somewhere between our pigmentation and our culture we have lost our rationality. For some reason, the media exposes more crime from minorities, creating prejudice. It is important...
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...The emergence of social justice as an opponent of systemic racism abolished sanctioned institutional racism and left individual racism as a weak, dying sign of ignorance. But, in all of its successes, social justice has failed to cure the black community of poverty—the problem to which black Americans’ disproportionate crime rate can ultimately be attributed. The statistics for black crime do not indicate that is some innate aggressiveness in blacks; rather, the statistics point to a number of significant factors that contribute to and account for the disproportionate crime rate of black Americans. Centuries of racism have landed black Americans in a seemingly inescapable trench of poverty. This trench was dug deeply by a number of racist institutions:...
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...What variables affect the difference in crime rates throughout the neighborhoods of a city? By Anna Burns Introduction: This project is a focus on how variables such as population, ethnicity, and income affect crime rates throughout different neighborhoods throughout a city. I feel that this information finding this information could be useful to many people. For example if you are looking to buy a new home or even start a new business, you’ll probably want it located in a safe neighborhood. This study will help identify the signs of a safe neighborhood. Knowing why crime rates are higher in some areas may also help prevent the crime rate to rise in other neighborhoods. For example, if crime rates are higher in neighborhoods with a higher percent of vacant houses, a city might give incentives for home buyers to buy houses in those neighborhoods to fill those vacant houses. Data and Variables: Most of my data came from the 2010 census, so my sample is only from 2010. With only one year of data some results may be skewed. I tried getting data from other censuses but it was not easily retrievable and some parts of the data were missing. The different quantitative variables I am using separated by neighborhood are median household income, total population, ethnic makeup (divided into white, Hispanic/Latino, Black/African America, ect…) total crimes, and housing units (vacant, occupied). The categorical variables I am using are neighborhood, community (group of neighborhoods...
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...Jefferson Chen Professor Queen Writing 39C 21 February 2013 Essay of Prospective Claims: Michelle Alexander discusses how mass incarceration has ruined and dismantled many lives of young African Americans. The problem she discusses so passionately in her book is a relevant problem in our society today. Ever since Ronald Reagan’s presidency and forward, campaigns have been targeting crime and especially rug related crimes. While it is clear that many of these young African Americans are going to prison due to drug related crimes, stopping the war on drugs altogether is not the solution. Although stopping the drug war may seem efficient for stopping the incarceration of young blacks in the present, it does not guarantee that these same people will not commit other crimes. The cost for stopping the drug war is allowing drug usage and distribution to run rampant which can cause the society and the neighborhoods around the areas to become unsafe. Alexander discusses how there is no way around this issue and dismantling the system of mass incarceration is the only resolution; however if these poor neighborhoods were funded with government money, drug abuse can potentially become lower or even be stopped. Alexander is also discussing how a handful of reforms cannot be a solution to the problem. She argues that all the financial grants that are given to police departments for drug arrests and racial profiling should be halted. She believes that by halting the funding and supplies...
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...characteristics about a person (i.e. age, previous convictions). These factors work against the person as far as an inability to change their past or class. Dynamic factors are potentially changeable (i.e. levels of empathy, pro-criminal attitudes). These work for the criminal being as they can change their future, attitude, and decisions with counseling or rehabilitation. Other factors that have been researched in this article that have contributed to recidivism of sexual offenders are; race, having previous convictions, age and offender type (adult or child). As far as race goes, the overall findings did not “qualify a specific race”, but did find that being white did decrease the chances of recidivism and that blacks have a higher rate of recidivism than whites by 35%. Those with previous convictions seem to reoffend as well. Many sexual offenders have between one and four convictions, with several having more than four. Age and offender type seem to be predominantly middle age males of all races. Child offenders are low and so are female offenders. This article claims registration failures correlate to higher rates of recidivism. Successful registration of sexual offenders is the best way to observe the recidivism rate, but on average 21.51% fail to register, which correlates to higher risk of that sexual offender recidivating by 65%. Those criminals who fail to register as a sexual offender online recidivate within a three-year span at a higher rate than those who don’t...
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...RACE AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 2 “According to the U.S. Justice Department, in 2003 about 10.4% of all African American men between the ages of 25 to 29 were incarcerated, as compared to 2.4% of Hispanic men and 1.2% of non-Hispanic White men” (DeVry, 2015). This topic is critical to the study of cultural diversity because of the racial disparity among the young African American males in the criminal justice system and the lasting effects of incarceration. This research paper will unveil the truth about why African men in this age group are much more likely to be sent to prison than are people of White or Latino descent. . African American men are often charged and prosecuted more aggressively than White or Hispanic men. This paper will also reveal the adverse mental and physical health endured by black males during incarceration and upon release. Recent studies indicate that inadequate education and low socioeconomic status has a direct correlation between black males and crime. As the United States becomes an increasingly diverse nation, many studies confirm racial inequalities exist amongst judges, lawyers and legislation. This creates the very serious concern of racial profiling. While racial profiling is illegal, studies prove that black males are more likely to be stopped and searched. New York State is only one of two states that automatically processes, prosecutes and incarcerates 16 and 17 year-olds as adults. Legislation...
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...Chapter 1: Introduction Background Few in modern society argue that gun related violence is not a problem that requires attention. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, firearm homicides account for roughly 11,000 of the 16,000 homicides that occur the United States annually (2013). The subject of gun control has been a topic that has generated an enormous amount of controversy and attention. When one hears the term “gun violence”, vile acts against humanity, such as the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary and Columbine High School, come to mind. More recently, the rise in extremist acts of terror has heightened the public’s concern over gun control. In the aftermath of multiple occasions, President Obama has publically called for stronger gun control laws, specifically calling for stricter background checks among other provisions. In response to the public’s concern for safety, the president used executive action which increased the number of businesses which require federal licenses to sell guns, thus increasing the number of dealers requiring background checks when selling firearms (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2016). This is, of course, not a one-sided argument. The subject creates strong feelings across the political spectrum. Gun rights groups, such as the NRA, suggest that gun control laws are not only unconstitutional, but actually leave citizens in more danger by preventing them from using their best form of protection (National Rifle...
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...The association between social class and crime has been a topic that has been discussed in criminology for quite some time. Social class is the division of society in social and economic classes. The upper class is composed of the wealthiest people in society, such as successful entrepreneurs, politicians, investment bankers, CEOs, and celebrities. The middle class is considered to be the median between the working class and upper class. For example, lower level managers, doctors, small business owners, educators would be considered middle class. The lower class is loosely defined by definition generally though it would be described as individuals working positions at a job that can be filled easily without having a substantial amount of...
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...Testing Paper Michelle Ware Psy 315 July 6, 2015 Nancy Walker Hypothesis Testing Paper Criminal acts stemming from prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity-frequently referred to as “hate violence”- have increased during recent years. (Barnes & Ephross, 1994) My hypothesis is the nature of hate attacks and victim’s responses. We can date back in American history the major importance of crime as a social problem. Society in America has been increasingly concerned about this problem and the victims experience with hate. This type of crime has generated the development of a numerous variety of victim service programs and research that will focus on victims instead of giving the criminals their five seconds of fame. “Hate violence crimes are those directed against persons, families, groups, or organizations because of their racial, ethnic, religious, or sexual identities or their sexual orientation or condition of disabilities. These crimes include arson of homes, businesses, and harassment, destruction of religious property, cross burnings, personal assaults, and homicides.” (Barnes & Ephross, 1994) It could be a difficult task to estimate the current prevalence of hate violence in the United States. With the help of media sources, there is a way to keep track and be more aware of these types of crimes. Focus group meetings, individual interviews, and questionnaires would be a way of sampling victims. Victims should include black, white...
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...means race and in my opinion diversity is so much more than race. Diversity can be defined by many definitions but I think that diversity has only one true meaning. The true meaning of diversity refers to cultural differences that make up the qualities in people that make us vastly unique. Diversity is a assessment that is revealed in mutual respect and appreciation of the similarities and differences such as age, culture, education, ethnicity, experience, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc, that make people unique. I think diversity within the United States is continually evolving and a process that is forever changing. The United States is a melting pot of cultures that are different in everything from thoughts, principles, lifestyles, and ambitions. When I was younger I had a friend whom only went to church on Saturday. I thought that was strange considering my own family only went to church on Sunday. As I grew older I realized that my friend belongs to the Seven Day Adventist Church and my family attended a Primitive Baptist Church. I realized that our church services were vastly different, but the message of the savoir in Christ was essentially the same. This experience opened my eyes up to the fact that people could look the same but have entirely different faiths. In recent years there has been a tacit conflict between the African American Church and the lesbian, gay, transgender community. This conflict has taught me that my own race, African...
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...schizophrenia racism?? Some consider racism as a mental illness. So what is racism? Racism is "...the belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another, that a person's social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics..." ("Anti-Defamation League", para. 1). I am unable to comprehend how one sees racism as a mental illness. In fact, further proving my argument, "The American Psychiatric Association (APA) does not list racism in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)..." (Martin, para. 5). Mental health concerns and racism have no correlation due to their differences. Thus, racism should not identify as a mental...
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...Citation: S.E. Costanza and Ronald Helms. "Street Gangs and Aggregate Homicides: An Analysis of Effects During the 1990s Violent Crime Peak" Homicide Studies 16(3): 280-307. June 11, 2012. Online. June 12, 2013. City-level violence escalated and peaked during the 1990’s, which possibly caused a similarly high homicide rate. Many studies have linked gang activity with higher rates of violent crimes. This study uses empirical research to link gang violence with homicide rates. A majority of studies only looked at the micro level of gang attribute violence and homicide correlation. Costanza focused on the macro level using 154 U.S. cities to determine if active gangs directly correlated with homicide rates. Criminologist in the 1990’s paid special attention to the structural factors contributing to the all-time peak of violence in the young men demographic. Researchers have remained focused on the patterns of homicide within the context of the violence peak in the 90’s. Costanza chose to “focus explicitly on the plausible empirical link between street gangs and homicide offending in central cities throughout the Unites States”. The factors that lead to an increase in homicide include the drug market, guns, and gang presence. Recent studies have shown that it is a combination of factors, as opposed to just financial opportunity, that lead to gang membership. The reason for the lack of macro level studies of gang violence has been due to the lack of gang related studies. Maxson...
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...something wrong within the American society. One yearns to go back to the ancient times when people care for themselves and others, where there was no crime and everyone was happy. He argues out that, such issues are important in the transformation of the modern society to one that is socially, economically moralistically and politically at peace with the people’s intrinsic perception of a collective utopia. Putman points out that the current trends in the social capital and civic engagement have been wiped out to a critical level. He explains that the modern society has become a cesspool of crime, immorality, inequality and utmost poverty among the American people. He goes further to relate the deviation of the social capital to the earlier mentioned ill activities in the society, while he associates the social capital increase to the some positive aspects like economic prosperity, education, democracy, children welfare, productive neighborhoods, safe welfare, proper healthcare and happiness to the people. The evidence that Putman mounts is unquestionable with regards to correlation, and he cautions that even mere correlation cannot be substituted for causation just automatically. In addition, the author of the book goes to the extent of discrediting all the existing critical objections that are based on the specific correlations that lead to causation. From the article, it is evident that commuting, sprawl and suburbanization contribute to the increasing time restraints through...
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...only seem to fuel public opinion that crimes are mainly committed by minorities which mean that an increase in immigrants means an increase in crime. Do native born Americans have a viable concern with immigration and an increase in crime or is this just a way for the media, politicians, and anti-immigration groups to spread their opinions and fears on immigration? If there is a correlation between crime and immigration how will this play a role in today’s prison system? An overwhelming amount of native born Americans believe that the influx of immigrants, especially illegal immigrants, will have a negative effect on the crime rate in the United States. Of course, in an absolute sense, it probably does. Immigration brings more people into the country, and unless this process is counterbalanced by emigration, the absolute volume of crime will very likely increase. In addition, immigrants are often disproportionately male and at early ages of labor market entry and advancement. Because young males are disproportionately likely to be involved in crime in all parts of the world that we know about (Hirschi and Gottfredson, 1983), this may also contribute to increases in crime. In this sense we will probably want to know whether immigrants who enter the country contribute to crime beyond what we could otherwise expect of citizens of similar numbers, ages, gender, and so on. Recent research suggests that the claims that immigration cuases crime are false, and that in reality immigrants...
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