Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Bar Disorder in Newark, NJ

• In Event: Public Order Crimes

Abstract

Research into alcohol related crime and disorder has identified a number of risk factors and has recommended interventions aimed at reducing these problems. Research provides insight into how the police, community, and bar owners and managers can reduce crime and disorder at bar locations and where these actions should be undertaken. However, there is scarce research guiding when these interventions should take place as a systematic examination of these temporal and spatial patterns of disorder concentrations at bar locations has not been undertaken. Using two years of police data on disorder calls for service at bars, this research begins with a J-curve analysis for each year of police data to determine if the same bars are problematic from one year to the next. Next, the data was analyzed using a series of temporal factors such as time of day and day of the week to identify when the highest concentrations of bar disorder calls for service are most likely to occur. In doing so, the results of this inquiry can be used to guide not only where but when targeted interventions should be implemented in order to generate the greatest crime control and prevention benefits.

Author

• Rosalyn Bocker Parks, Rutgers University