CRIME RATES NEAR RUNNING TRAILS AND PARKS IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Abstract
Recent events have fueled a public perception that there is a high rate of criminal activity within and near urban parks and trails. This study examines two years (2021-2022) of crime reports from the City of Atlanta, Georgia to examine this perception. The data found was categorized into homicide, rape, and aggravated assault. Geographic analysis of point locations shows that 15.5% of all crimes recorded during the time period occurred within 300 feet of the parks. Since 18.8% of Atlanta is greenspace, there appears to be a lower rate of criminal activity associated with parks and trails. Additional statistical analyses reveal the geographic patterns of crime near selected parks and trails. Efforts to publicize and account for crime in parks serves both to highlight safety awareness and to discourage recreational use of public spaces. There has been an implementation of police portals within the parks and community organizations to help encourage utilization of parks. The goal of this study is to help characterize the social dangers of urban spaces and evaluate whether parks and trails encourage criminal behaviors.
Acknowledgements
Georgia College History & Geography Department
Recommended Citation
Northen*, Shannon and Oetter, Doug
(2023)
"CRIME RATES NEAR RUNNING TRAILS AND PARKS IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA,"
Georgia Journal of Science, Vol. 81, No. 1, Article 123.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.gaacademy.org/gjs/vol81/iss1/123