Palm Springs Crime Analysis Project

The Crime Analysis Division of the Center for Criminal Justice Research is working with the Palm Springs Police Department, on a project that will lead to the revision of its current strategic plan. Progressive agencies across the country are turning to research organizations and universities in order to supplement their existing analytic capacity. The Palm Springs Police Department is a prime example of an agency that is partnering to extend its resources and use empirical evidence to effectively resolve crime and public safety issues.

Of primary concern to the PSPD is that in order to respond effective to community concerns it requires accurate and timely information. Given budgetary constraints, the PSPD sought to develop an innovative strategy to address this need for information. Chief Gary Jeandron turned to the California State University, San Bernardino and initiated a contract with the Center for Criminal Justice Research, to do the crime analysis needed for the agency at a much lower cost that would be possible otherwise.

A research team lead by Dr. Gisela Bichler will complete a 14-month project that entails four distinct research phases. In order to better understand the needs of the community, the first phase will focus on developing more accurate population estimates for the census blocks of Palm Springs. The PSPD is concerned that the recent census did not accurately capture the “snow birds” and “weekenders” that frequent the area (see Figure 1). Not knowing where the needs are, impacts on the agency's ability to efficiently respond to crime and disorder issues. Developing a statistical model that will better estimate the true population of various regions of the city will greatly enhance the agency's ability to respond efficiently, and effectively, to community needs.

Next, the population estimates will be integrated with an analysis of crime and disorder in order to identify concentrations of crime and disorder. This second phase involves general crime analysis to identify--based on the new population estimates--where crime concentrates and which areas of the city are likely to need additional resources. Crime maps will assist the PSPD with making adjustments to service levels, patrol functions, and beat boundaries. A series of meetings with the city manager will follow in order to make these changes.

The third phase of the project involves detailed analysis of crime reports to generate some descriptive information about the characteristics of victims and offenders for certain crimes. Of primary concern to the agency are bias crimes, burglary, and motor vehicle crime. This does not mean that these are the most prevalent crimes; rather, the PSPD believes that the community is concerned about these kinds of crimes. Having a thorough examination of these issues will greatly assist the agency's efforts to effectively deal with important issues affecting the community.

Project Contact: Dr. Gisela Bichler