Social Network Analysis: Understanding the Crime Problem ...

1 Social Network Analysis: Understanding the Crime Problem & targeting StrategiesAndrew M. Fox, of Missouri Kansas City1 What is SNA? analysis of Social relationships Beyond individual attributes Map relationships between individuals Information and goods flow between people, so the structure of relationships matters Through SNA we can identify important individuals based on their Social position2 Research on SNA Delinquent peers -one of the strongest predictors of Crime (Warr) Violence is concentrated among networks of people (Papachristos) The closer you are socially to violence, the more likely you are to become a victim (Papachristos) Position is important within the Network (Morselli, McGloin).3 Understanding group Focus resources Deterrence, levers to pull Holding members accountable for each other s actions Understanding informal Social control Network structure, propertiesSNA is a tool to graphically display group dynamics4 SNA for Example5 NodeSNA: Sociogram6 TieNodeWhat s the point?

2 Converting data into intelligenceDATAMODEL-INGINTELLIGENCEI nputOutputAnalysis7 Data (input) Information that connects or informs the relationship between 2+ people Field Interview Forms Arrest Reports Car/Traffic Stops Street intel Gang intelligence reports NationalIntegrated Ballistic Information Network8 Data (a word of caution) Intelligence will only be as good as the data used Flawed, incomplete, stale, cursory data yield similar output9 Colorado Springs Sexual Contact NetworkSOURCE: James Moody. 9-11 Hijacker NetworkSOURCE: ValdisKrebs 1112 Advantages of Using optimization No lines on top of each other, clear layout Space on the page to equal Social key players Centrality as a measure of software (Pajek and Excel)134/12/2015 Network of gang members and associates (n= 288)Who is most central in the Network ?

3 Two types of Centrality Centrality Simply the number of ties a node has in the Network . Degree centrality suggests that those who have the most ties are the most central to the Network . 16 Betweenness Centrality Those who are the intersection on many paths between others. 17 Kansas City, Mo No Violence Alliance Using SNA as part of a focused deterrence project Collaboration between: police, prosecutor (state and federal), ATF, FBI, City of KC, Probation and Parole, UMKC, Social service agencies. 18 What law enforcement knows Chronic offenders cause disproportionate Crime problems, including violence Many offenders are connected socially in groups Problems within and between groups cause problems Group members commit all sorts of Crime (violence, minor offenses, drugs) If groups were controlled it would make a big differenceKC Gang Network sociogram20 Pilot group (January 2013) Pilot Group 360 members in group 202 in largest connected group 60 Currently were on probation / parole 32 Pending cases were in Jackson County processes 126 Members had active warrants 22 Warrants were Felony (KC NoVA picked a very small group that was not the most violent or robust to learn from, the Network was the focus of Operation Clean Sweep conducted in late Janurary 2013)

4 Focused Deterrence in Practice Create partnerships with law enforcement, probation and parole, Social services and members of the community to target the most violent groups in the area to send the message that violence will no longer be tolerated The message informs those individuals: There are alternatives to committing violence, such as Social services If violence continues then punishment will be certain, swift and severeConducting research Gathering street level intelligence (beyond official data) Group audit (4) 50 officers, detectives broke out into 3 groups based on geography Result: 60 active groups of 800 members Most frequently reported criminal involvement were murder, assault, shootings, guns, drugs25 Network of groupsBeefs, Alliances, Volatile 26 Group Enforcement After the first group related homicide after the call in.

5 Pulling levers Delivering the message that violence will not be tolerated27 KansasCityPoliceDepartmentPerpetratorInf ormationCenterMarch18,2015 APPROPRIATEDECONFLICTIONREQUIREDPRIORTOU SINGTHISANALYTICALPRODUCTS tartingGroupMembersRed = Starting Group MembersFORINFORMATIONALANDINVESTIGATIVEP URPOSESONLY/INCLUSIONINASOCIOGRAMDOESNOT CONSTITUTEDESIGNATIONASANOVATARGETLAWENF ORCEMENTSENSITIVE/DONOTDISSEMINATEK ansasCityPoliceDepartmentPerpetratorInfo rmationCenterMarch18,2015 APPROPRIATEDECONFLICTIONREQUIREDPRIORTOU SINGTHISANALYTICALPRODUCTNoVASubjectRed = NoVASubjectFORINFORMATIONALANDINVESTIGAT IVEPURPOSESONLY/INCLUSIONINASOCIOGRAMDOE SNOTCONSTITUTEDESIGNATIONASANOVATARGETLA WENFORCEMENTSENSITIVE/DONOTDISSEMINATEK ansasCityPoliceDepartmentPerpetratorInfo rmationCenterMarch18,2015 APPROPRIATEDECONFLICTIONREQUIREDPRIORTOU SINGTHISANALYTICALPRODUCTW arrantsRed = City Blue = StateGreen = Questioning Orange = JuvenileFORINFORMATIONALANDINVESTIGATIVE PURPOSESONLY/INCLUSIONINASOCIOGRAMDOESNO TCONSTITUTEDESIGNATIONASANOVATARGETLAWEN FORCEMENTSENSITIVE/DONOTDISSEMINATEK ansasCityPoliceDepartmentPerpetratorInfo rmationCenterMarch18,2015 APPROPRIATEDECONFLICTIONREQUIREDPRIORTOU SINGTHISANALYTICALPRODUCTC entralityFORINFORMATIONALANDINVESTIGATIV EPURPOSESONLY/INCLUSIONINASOCIOGRAMDOESN OTCONSTITUTEDESIGNATIONASANOVATARGETLAWE NFORCEMENTSENSITIVE/DONOTDISSEMINATEATF / NIBIN IntelligenceNationalIntegrated Ballistic Information Network KCPD is integrating all ballistic matches that link gun Crime , connecting the cases, then identifying the networks of people involved in those crimes, victims.

6 Witnesses and suspects to overlay that intelligence in the networks. This information allows us to place a higher degree of risk for violence based on the prior history of / NIBIN IntelligenceNationalIntegrated Ballistic Information Network (these dots indicate linked gun crimes, yellow dots indicate cases involving homicides)33 Training Finding the right Crime analysts Giving them time and space to learn Need to fully understand PD data systems and how to extract large amounts of data from those systems Need to understand the concepts, not just the technique. 34So how do you do it? Pajek Demonstration35 Network files Visualizing a Network Central players in the Network 36 Field InterviewFIF 1100 Andrew200 Ken Edge100200100200 Network RepresentationFIF 2200 Ken 350 Joe 400 Tiffany 200350200400350400200400350100 FIF 1 & 2 Combined10020020035020040035040020040035 0 Thank YouQuestions?

7 Contact information:Andrew Fox; 816-235-5955.