Youngstowns North Side Weed

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Youngstowns North Side Weed Seed Target Area

• Weed Seed is a strategy that aims to prevent
  and control violent crime, drug abuse and gang
  activity in designated high-crime neighborhoods
  across the country
• The Public Service Institute at YSU analyzed
  crime data and census demographics to locate
  high-crime and high-poverty areas in the city for
  potential Weed Seed area designation
• Several census tracts on the citys south side
  had already been designated as a Weed Seed
  area, leaving those areas ineligible
• Four census tracts on the citys north side were
  eventually targeted
• The following slide shows the citys south side
  Weed Seed area

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Homicides, 2000 to 2004

• Data was obtained from the Youngstown Police
  Department (YPD) and Federal Bureau of
  Investigation (FBI)
• Data was subsequently matched to the proper
  street location
• Maps were created showing the location of
  homicides by census tract
• The maps aided in selecting the final Weed Seed
  target area

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Citywide Crime by Census Tract, 2000-2004

• Maps were created using seven variables from the
  FBIs Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), and data from
  the YPD
• Made it possible to analyze hot spots from a
  spatial perspective by matching crimes to the
  proper street location and summarizing by census
  tract
• Aided in selecting potential census tracts for
  the Weed Seed area
• Those variables included
• Homicide
• Forcible rape
• Felonious assault
• Robbery
• Burglary
• Larceny/theft
• Auto theft

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Local Data Issues

• Using YPD final signal codes that signify the
  type of crime committed, the seven variables were
  extracted from the database of all calls for
  service
• Location of the crime was often given at the
  place the report was taken, such as a hospital or
  the police station
• Census tract 8037 stands out because its location
  includes the YPD, although the number of crimes
  committed in that tract is actually minimal
• Therefore, tract 8037 was left out of
  consideration

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2000 Census Data

• 2000 Census demographics were compiled in tabular
  format to analyze indicators such as race,
  poverty, economics, and housing
• Used in conjunction with crime data analysis to
  identify the areas of highest crime and poverty
  in the city
• Aided in selecting potential census tracts for
  the Weed Seed area

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Census Data Variables

• Population Data
• Total
• Total, non-Hispanic
• White
• Black
• Native American
• Asian
• Hawaiian, Pacific Islander
• Other
• Two or more races
• Hispanic
• Percent age 60 and older
• Female householders with children under age 18

• Economic Housing Data
• Percent unemployed
• Median household income
• Percent of persons living below poverty level
• Percent of families living below poverty level
• Percent of occupied housing owner occupied
• Percent of occupied housing renter occupied
• Median year residential structure built
• Median rent
• Median value for owner occupied housing

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Potential Weed Seed Target Area Sites

• After analyzing crime statistics and census
  demographics, several census tracts on the citys
  north and east sides were selected as potential
  sites for the new Weed Seed target area
• Sacred landmarks, schools, social services, and
  other public facilities located within the tracts
  were targeted to potentially serve as safe
  havens, sites for after-school programs, etc.
• The following map shows the census tracts that
  were selected as potential sites

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Crime Rank by Census Tract

• Using the FBI UCR variables and YPD data, each
  census tract within the target area was ranked to
  determine the tracts with the highest crime rate
• The top five tracts were located on the citys
  north side
• The following map shows the crime rank by census
  tract

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Social Data Rank by Census Tract

• The census demographics were then used to rank
  each census tract within the target area to
  determine the tracts with the highest rate of
  poverty
• The tracts with the highest poverty rate were
  also located on the citys north side, and
  mirrored those with the highest rate of crime
• The following map shows the social data rank by
  census tract

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Final Weed Seed Target Area

• The census tracts determined to have the highest
  crime and poverty rates, as well as the resources
  to provide the programs necessary for the success
  of the Weed Seed program were selected
• The following map shows the census tracts that
  were determined to best fit the criteria for a
  Weed Seed designation

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