Crime Mapping in Chicago, IL

Crime Information, Trends, and Rates in Chicago 

The map above captures the crime rates in Chicago. As can be seen, assault is the predominant crime in all the areas captured. Of greater importance is the fact that most of the crimes have been conducted within a week thus denoting a far much more significant influence at play. To better comprehend the prevalence of assault in Chicago, one has to devolve into the dynamics of routing activity as well as crime patterns within the region. The importance of such a focus is that it creates an avenue for an in-depth analysis of the causes and effects of crime. 

Analysis of Criminal Activity in Chicago 

Criminology can be described as the scientific study of crime with the goal of developing effective and efficient strategies. The establishment of criminology brought about significant shifts in regards to perception of crime. Medieval and early civilizations considered offense to be demonic in that the devil or evil spirits inspired it. With the development of theories in crime, it became possible to analyze causes and factors in crimes, thus introducing realistic approaches to the understanding of crime. Criminology has been essential in contextualizing crime, thus allowing for more effacing reduction and apprehension approaches and strategies. One of the pertinent components of criminology is environmental criminology which focuses on contextualizing crime in regards to their physical and social interactions and how they influence their behavior in regards to crime. This particular field of study focuses on elements such as crime patterns and routine activity in analyzing crime and its dynamics. The difference, in theory, should not be confused with a difference in the approach to the crime but instead, the different theories denote different lenses through which crime can be analyzed. 

According to the routine activity theory, crime has to be broken into parts entailing the presence of a victim, a suitable object as well as the willingness of an offender. The middle ground between the willingness of the offender and the presence of the victim often results in an optimal location for the commission of a crime. From this particular theory, therefore it is necessary to develop crime has to be captured within the offender’s activity space. Another crucial element that has to address when using the framework proposed by this theory is that of activity odes. In this case, activity nodes denote an offender’s awareness of the crime opportunities that are available within a given space Space, in this case, refers to the processes as well as activities that an offender has to undergo in effect to choose the location as well as the target (Clack, 2015). The crime pattern theory, on the other hand, analyzes crime from the perspective of social and physical environments of the offenders. 

Chicago’s crime trends and prevalence can best be captured by focusing on the social dynamics of the region over time. In this case, therefore, it is necessary to focus on the transmission of cultural norms and values over time and how they continue to influence crime in contemporary times. By focusing on the cultural changes, the theory is primarily targeting an understanding of social disorganization. As the 1800s came to an end, Chicago was experiencing tremendous changes it terms of its social structure. Chicago experienced tremendous growth in terms of its population, with initial statistics of as low as five thousand people in the 1800s quickly rising to over two million (Tibbetts & Hemmens, 2009). The rapid growth in numbers was unprecedented and therefore unplanned. The cities resources were insufficient in terms of providing adequate social services resulting in widespread social disintegration. 

This particular approach was vital in that it forces individuals to analyze crime from a more profound and well-contextualized form. Increasing immigration meant that the Chicago societies were becoming more heterogeneous than ever before. This came about with social and cultural shifts with the most significant impact of the immigration being adequate housing. Poverty was also rampant in Chicago communities even as families and individuals competed for existing resources and opportunities (Tibbetts & Hemmens, 2009). Ideally, Chicago, during this times experienced a high degree of cultural integration as well as high poverty rates. The element of physical dilapidation was also instrumental in creating the right conditions of social disintegration. These particular disorganizations meant that the communities were unable to solve various social problems thus promoting delinquency among the youth. In essence, this experiences became the foundation of a society which has evolved over the years into the current Chicago community. 

Looking at the map of Chicago between 1925 and 1933, Chicago was undergoing tremendous changes, which could be referred as a transition in regards to sociological factors. Burgess went on to develop concentric circles on the map of Chicago to help ascertain the role of societal transformation in the establishment of delinquency among the youth. 

Pertinent to the environmental theory that had been developed by Shaw and McKay, the areas that fell within Zone II were characterized by the greatest incidence of crime and delinquency because it fell within the transition zones (Shaw, & McKay, 1972). This particular zone experienced an upsurge of factories in a previously residential area. This, therefore, attracted numerous ethnic groups and contributed to substantial physical dilapidation due to increases in housing demands. Delinquency, in this case, was characterized by high rates of drug abuse, neglect of children, the prevalence of street gangs and emergence of street families. Poverty was also a common denominator across the delinquents. While the theories discussed above provide the origins of crime in Chicago, they fail to capture how such behaviors was sustained over the years despite the tremendous changes in structure and dynamics that these particular populations have undergone. With a high prevalence of delinquency, parent and guardian supervision was minimal, allowing older children to supervise the younger one. 

This not only gave rise to street gangs but soon transformed into full blown out crime over time. The Older children became crucial tenets of socialization for the young. School attendance and education were disregarded, with many young men and women opting to engage in vices to earn a living. Chicago thus became a crime-prone and with it, a new culture was established. As the youth turned into adults, they formed families of their own, a factor that served to initiate a vicious cycle of poverty and crime. With little to no skills for employment, most of the parents that had grown in crime found that supporting their families called for the commission of more crimes, further exacerbating the crime rates within the region. 

The prevalent use of drugs and alcohol that was common among the delinquent youth who had now become adults created another avenue for the continuation of the cycle of poverty and crime. Children being born into such families found themselves with mental and developmental disorders own got the practices and behaviors of their parents. This meant that most of the children being born found themselves at a disadvantage in regards to social mobility. Besides being born into poverty, they had to deal with the burden of the neglect, inadequate healthcare services, as well as poor education (Tibbetts & Hemmens, 2009). The resultant effect was a downward spiral in terms of social disorganization even as generations of delinquents emerged. The environment in which children were being brought up further served to reinforce their delinquent behavior, considering the fact that drugs and alcohol were easily available. Growing inequality of social class in the larger Chicago region also meant that the causes for the crime were also increasing even as the upper and middle classes became target victims. 

Understanding contemporary crime trends and rates have to be founded on reliable information, which means digging back into layers that form the so-called causes of crime. It means dissecting through various social and cultural perspectives to understand how they influence and impact the prevalence of crime. In the case of Chicago, the incidence of crime and more so assault is to be found in the greater cultural, social and historical structure of the region. Gang culture remains a crucial social dynamic within Chicago (Tibbetts & Hemmens, 2009). With the absence of parental care, poor social safety nets, and poverty, many youths find solace in their peers. This is an element that has been part of the Chicago for decades, thus ingraining gangs and gang culture into Chicago’s social fabric. The prevalence of crime and assault is thus to be looked at as a manifestation of the subliminal problem. 

Law enforcement plays a tentative role in crime reduction and mitigation. However, the best solution in such a case would be to develop strategies that focus on the social systems. In this case, therefore, social programs that focus on education, healthcare, and reproductive health provide the first line of defense against the type of crime in Chicago. Economic stimulus programs can also come in handy in dealing with crime in Chicago. By creating opportunities that allow for the poor to earn decent livelihoods, a great deal of crime can be reduced. It is also likely to allow parents to be responsible for their children and thus contribute to the minimization of delinquency. 

References 

Clack, W. J. (2015). Criminology theories: An analysis of livestock theft cases.  Acta Criminologica: Southern African Journal of Criminology ,  28 (2), 92-106. 

Shaw, C. R., & McKay, H. D. (1972). Juvenile delinquency and urban areas .  Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press . 

Spotcrime. (2018). Recent Crime in Chicago, IL. Retrieved 31 March 2018, from https://spotcrime.com/il/chicago. 

Tibbetts, S. G., & Hemmens, C. (2009).  Criminological theory: A text/reader . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.