Mapping Crime: Exploring Spatial Patterns of Robbery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Abstract

Crime and socio-demographics have been shown in previous research to be related to one another. This research investigates spatial patterns of robbery and links robberies and socio-demographics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the years 2006 and 2009. Twenty-one neighborhoods in Milwaukee were studied on the basis of robbery locations, robbery counts, and different socio-demographics. The intent of this research was to prove that socio-demographics help to explain robbery occurrence, as well there being a decrease in robberies from 2006 to 2009 in Milwaukee. The data was analyzed spatially and statistically to produce correlations and crime hotspots. Through analyses and mapping, it was concluded that there has been a decrease in robberies from 2006 to 2009, as well as fairly strong correlations between robberies and socio-demographics. It was also found that robberies were not only concentrated in Milwaukee’s downtown but surrounding areas especially northwest of downtown as well.