Interactive assignment #2

Case Study Reflection #2 Due Sunday, March 8 at 11:59 PM

Assignment Type: Statistical Interactive Case Study

Focus Topic: Evaluating Gun Violence Trends and Policy Interventions

Overview

In this reflection, you will use real-world statistical data to explore how community-based violence prevention strategies can impact crime trends. Specifically, you will compare gun violence rates in Baltimore before and after the implementation of the Safe Streets program. This exercise is designed to strengthen your ability to apply criminological theories to data, practice evidence-based analysis, and reflect on unintended outcomes of policy interventions.

Data Sources (choose at least one):

• (shooting and violent crime statistics by year and neighborhood)
• (mortality and public health statistics, including firearm-related deaths)

Your Tasks

Data Analysis

• Extract relevant data on gun violence before and after the introduction of the Safe Streets program.
• Identify changes or trends (e.g., reductions in shootings, shifts by neighborhood, or persistent problem areas).

Application of Theory

• Use Social Disorganization Theory or another relevant criminological framework to interpret your findings.
• Consider how community structure, collective efficacy, and informal social control may help explain the data.

Reflection on Policy Effectiveness

• Discuss whether Safe Streets appears effective in reducing gun violence.
• Identify one strength of the program and one potential limitation.

Unintended Consequence

• Predict one possible unintended consequence of the intervention (e.g., displacement of violence, shifts in gang dynamics, or community trust issues).

Submission Guidelines

• Length: 12 pages (double-spaced, APA 7th edition formatting)
• Include at least one data visualization (graph, table, or chart) created from the dataset.
• Cite all data sources and readings in APA format.
• Upload as a PDF or Word document by Sunday, Sept 21 at 11:59 PM (local time).

Example APA Citation

City of Baltimore. (2024). Part 1 Victim Based Crime Data (2012Present) [Data set]. Open Baltimore.

https://data.baltimorecity.gov/

https://wisqars.cdc.gov/