Hot Spots of Crime Are Not Just Hot Spots of Crime: Examining Health Outcomes at Street Segments

Abstract

In this paper we seek to identify whether the relationship between health disparities and crime occurs at a micro geographic level. Do hot spot streets evidence much higher levels of mental and physical illness than streets with little crime? Are residents of crime hot spots more likely to have health problems that interfere with their normal daily activities? To answer these questions, we draw upon a large National Institutes of Health study of a sample of hot spots and non-hot spots in Baltimore, Maryland. This is the first study we know of to report on this relationship, and accordingly we present unique descriptive data. Our findings show that both physical and mental health problems are much more likely to be found on hot spot streets than streets with little crime. This suggests that crime hot spots are not simply places with high levels of crime, but also places that evidence more general disadvantage. We argue that these findings have important policy implications for the targeting of health services and for developing proactive prevention programs.

Understanding the role of service providers, land use, and resident characteristics on the occurrence of mental health crisis calls to the police

“…Recently, Weisburd et al () examined mental health at a microgeographic level using residential surveys collected on 449 street segments in Baltimore. They found that residents of violent crime hot spots had an increased likelihood of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms compared to residents living on nonhot spot streets (see also Weisburd and White, ). Additionally, Vaughan et al () examined why calls involving an emotionally disturbed person (EDP) might cluster in places different from that of crime generally.…”

Perspectives of people with mental health problems at hot spots: Attitudes and perceptions of safety, crime, and the police

“…This paucity of research is unfortunate, since people with mental health problems may not only perceive crime, safety, and the police differently (cf. Newman, ; Yanos, Felton, Tsemberis, & Frye, ), but they are also more likely to live in, and be affected adversely by, the particular environments where these issues are more prevalent (Latkin & Curry, ; Ross, ; Weisburd et al, ; Weisburd & White, ).…”

“…see Weisburd, ; Weisburd, Hinkle, Famega, & Ready, ) and also with specific types of crime such as drug markets (Weisburd & Green, ; Weisburd & Mazerolle, ), juvenile crime (Weisburd, Morris, & Groff, ), gun violence (Braga, Papachristos, & Hureau, ), and mental health related calls (White & Goldberg, ). Furthermore, a recent study found that individuals who live in violent crime hot spots are more likely to have depression and/or PTSD (Weisburd et al, ; see also Weisburd & White, ). Because residents who live in crime hot spots are more likely to have mental health problems and come into contact with the police, it is important to examine their perceptions specifically.…”

“…What we do know about perceptions of crime, safety, and the police has focused on large geographical units, which are much larger than the streets people live on. An ongoing research program ongoing at George Mason University, on which we rely here, provides the first data we know of on mental health outcomes at this geographic level (Weisburd et al, ; Weisburd & White, ).…”

Spatio-Temporal Prediction of Baltimore Crime Events Using CLSTM Neural Networks

“…The city is significantly known for high crime rate which ranks higher than the national average. A series of news reports and few crime studies ( [23], [24]) depict the surge of violent crimes since 2011, in particular of homicides. The lowest homicide toll of 196 was recorded in the year 2011, and since then there has been a steady upward trend.…”