Changes in Detected Gunshots During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case of Hartford Connecticut
Topics:
Keywords: COVID-19, Firearms, Social Vulnerability, Mobility, ShotSpotter, Connecticut
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract
Authors:
Aaron Maxwell Adams, University of Connecticut
Katerina Dukleska, UConn GIS Health Lab at Connecticut Children’s
Garry Lapidus, UConn GIS Health Lab at Connecticut Children’s
Chuanrong Zhang, University of Connecticut Department of Geography
Bo Zhang, Loyola University Chicago School of Environmental Sustainability
J. Leslie Knod, UConn GIS Health Lab at Connecticut Children’s
Alex Hogan, UConn GIS Health Lab at Connecticut Children’s
Shapiro David, UConn GIS Health Lab at Connecticut Children’s
Borrup Kevin, UConn GIS Health Lab at Connecticut Children’s
Brendan T. Campbell, UConn GIS Health Lab at Connecticut Children’s
Abstract
In Hartford, Connecticut, there was an observed increase in firearm discharge events detected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting with this observation, we seek to answer two questions in this study. First, how have the frequency and spatial pattern of detected firearm discharges changed in Hartford, Connecticut over the past several years? Second, what were the underlying variables that may have impacted gunshots' frequency and spatial distribution, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic? To accomplish this, we first analyzed the trends in Hartford's ShotSpotter Acoustic Detection System data to identify spatial and temporal trends in detected gunshots between January 2017 and December 2021. We found the highest rate of change (59% increase) occurred between 2019 and 2020, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. We then examined the relationship between this observed change and SafeGraph cellphone mobility data as a proxy for COVID-19 related lockdowns, and found some significant correlation with the observed changes in detected gunshots. Finally, we evaluated these changes in relation to census tract level demographic variables with Geographically Weighted Regression. The results and discussion may help policymakers, law enforcement, and healthcare providers when addressing this public health problem.
Changes in Detected Gunshots During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case of Hartford Connecticut
Category
Paper Abstract
