An analysis of urban violence some of Chicago's most volatile micro-communities

Though rates are steadily declining, violence persists at disproportionately high levels in certain cities, more specifically, in certain neighborhoods and blocks within those cities. Given the highly concentrated nature of urban violence, if another substantial reduction in the U.S. violence rate is to be achieved, innovative community-based programs must first target the micro-communities experiencing the highest rates of violence. The Cure Violence model utilizes an epidemiologic, community-based approach towards the prevention and spread of violence by identifying these communities and the highest of high-risk individuals and those most likely to engage in violence within them.  The purpose of this presentation is to examine violence in the city of Chicago at the micro-level and explore the small geographic areas and close-knit social networks perpetuating the city’s high rates of violence.

Micro-communities will be selected based on the number and type of violent crimes within them.  The quantitative data from these communities will be cross examined with signs of social and physical disorder including known gang territories, foreclosed homes and abandoned buildings along with buffers including churches, schools, community centers, and child-care facilities as well as police stations. Qualitative data from Cure Violence staff (interviews, walking audits, focus groups) will be used to augment the primary data and better examine who, what and why certain communities are continually plagued by violence. Implications for other community-based programs that extensively utilize location and identification of key, high risk individuals to lessen the impact and spread of violence will also be discussed.