Geographical influences of an emerging network of gang rivalries

Rachel A. Hegemann, Laura M. Smith, Alethea B.T. Barbaro, Andrea L. Bertozzi, Shannon E. Reid and George E. Tita

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2011, vol. 390, issue 21, 3894-3914

Abstract: We propose an agent-based model to simulate the creation of street gang rivalries. The movement dynamics of agents are coupled to an evolving network of gang rivalries, which is determined by previous interactions among agents in the system. Basic gang data, geographic information, and behavioral dynamics suggested by the criminology literature are integrated into the model. The major highways, rivers, and the locations of gangs’ centers of activity influence the agents’ motion. We use a policing division of the Los Angeles Police Department as a case study to test our model. We apply common metrics from graph theory to analyze our model, comparing networks produced by our simulations and an instance of a Geographical Threshold Graph to the existing network from the criminology literature.

Keywords: Agent-based model; Complex system; Dynamic network; Gang rivalry; Biased Lévy walk; Geographical Threshold Graph (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:390:y:2011:i:21:p:3894-3914

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2011.05.040

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