Social Network Analysis Could Help Reduce Gang Violence

Social network analysis doesn’t focus so much on the location of high violence but certain people and the type of relationship they can have in certain groups. When it comes to reducing gang violence the method can pin point people and intervene with those likely to become offenders and even victims.

There’s no doubt that social media is everywhere. Networking sites use ties with friends, likes, activity, to better personalize your page. Now, something very similar is helping some police departments, social network analysis.

The method is a graph that clusters people based on ties they may have to the center of a group. Naval Postgraduate School students are even using it for operations in the Middle East.

“We were trying to get two tribal elements in the same village to work together. We were trying to understand that conflict and figure out how to do that. We were able to identify who is tied to each tribe, who is tied together, the important piece was we were able to identify these four individuals. They can give us the common ground that can bring the village together, and work together,” said Lt. Colonel Glen Johnson.

Johnson said NPS has taught it to military units and local law enforcement.

“If you can identify the gang members that are working or coordinating between both gangs, than its easier to influence the vision of those efforts by the gangs,” said Johnson.

“It would be really effective in Salinas,” said Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin.

However, McMillin said there’s no manpower to actually do it.

“What we might find for instance is say one person who is present at three or four shootings or somehow connected to three or four victims, well that will tell the detectives this is somebody we need to talk to, because that sort of thing when you are looking at separate police reports doesn’t necessarily jump out at you,” said McMillin

But its happening already in Chicago, where police have made a list of these so called “hot people” and offer help before its too late. Its being credited for 76 fewer murders than 2012.

Social network analysis was used by the Community Foundation of Monterey County which mapped service providers. Through that analysis Salinas Police realized they didn’t have strong ties to faith based communities which has strong ties to troubled neighborhoods. They are now working to build that relationship.