NCJ Number
54276
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
AN ANALYSIS OF THE INCIDENCE OF ASSAULTS OCCURRING NEAR A MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., BAR FROM JULY 1974 THROUGH JUNE 1975 IS PRESENTED.
Abstract
THE ANALYSIS, WHICH USED DATA ON 4,537 ASSAULTS CODED FROM MINNEAPOLIS POLICE REPORTS, SHOWS THAT THERE WERE 7.5 TIMES AS MANY ASSAULTS WITHIN ONE BLOCK OF MOBY DICK'S BAR AS WOULD BE EXPECTED JUDGING FROM THE CRIME RATE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH THE BAR IS LOCATED. EVEN WITH A MORE CONSERVATIVE ANALYSIS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE POSSIBILITY OF SPILLOVER FROM OTHER BARS NEAR MOBY DICK'S, THE CRIME RATE AROUND MOBY DICK'S STILL IS FIVE TIMES AS HIGH AS WOULD BE EXPECTED. THIS CLUSTERING PATTERN IS STABLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. ALTHOUGH MOBY DICK'S CLEARLY PRESENTS A CRIME PROBLEM, IT IS NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM IN THE 7-BLOCK STRIP ALONG HENNEPIN AVENUE WHERE MOBY DICK'S AND SEVERAL OTHER BARS ARE LOCATED. THAT STRIP ACCOUNTS FOR 5 TO 10 PERCENT OF ALL ASSAULTS IN MINNEAPOLIS. EVEN IF THE ASSAULTS ASSOCIATED WITH MOBY DICK'S ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE CALCULATION, THE STRIP STILL ACCOUNTS FOR A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF ASSAULTS. AN EARLIER STUDY OF BARS IN MINNEAPOLIS, WHICH FOUND THAT SOME BUT NOT ALL BARS HAVE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON THE CRIME RATES IN THEIR IMMEDIATE VICINITIES, IS NOTED. COMPUTER MAPS AND GRAPHS DISPLAYING THE FINDINGS, INCLUDING ONE SHOWING THE TYPES OF ASSAULTS (SEXUAL, STRANGER, NONSTRANGER) AROUND MOBY DICK'S, ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)