John Jay College Study: Rise in shootings disproportionately affects neighborhoods with significant social and economic disadvantages
(New York, NY)—New research from John Jay College of Criminal Justice finds that the increase in shootings over the last six years was concentrated in neighborhoods with significant social and economic disadvantages.
The study, Neighbors at Risk, written by Jeffrey A. Butts, Gina Moreno, and Richard Espinobarros of The Research and Evaluation Center, found that while more than half of New Yorkers (57%) lived in areas with no shooting incidents from 2015 to 2021, others experienced an increase.
“Most New York City residents never hear gunshots in their neighborhood,” said Butts, Director of the Research and Evaluation Center, “but others have to think about the possibility of gun violence routinely.”
The study divided the city using Census Block Groups maps, more than 6,500 in all, and compared shooting incidents from 2015 to 2021.
Researchers found 11 areas across the five boroughs that not only appeared more than once in the top 50 for shooting incidents from 2015 to 2019 but also experienced an increase in 2020-2021.
The study notes that by comparing crime rates across relatively small geographic areas officials can better consider where to invest in resources that support public safety and community wellbeing.
Neighbors at Risk was funded by the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.
About the Research and Evaluation Center
The John Jay Research and Evaluation Center (JohnJayREC) is an applied research organization and part of John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. Visit the Center's website and follow on Twitter @JohnJayREC.
About John Jay College of Criminal Justice:
An international leader in educating for justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York is a Hispanic Serving Institution and Minority Serving Institution offering a rich liberal arts and professional studies curriculum to 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 135 nations. John Jay is home to faculty and research centers at the forefront of advancing criminal and social justice reform. In teaching, scholarship and research, the College engages the theme of justice and explores fundamental human desires for fairness, equality and the rule of law. For more information, visit www.jjay.cuny.edu and follow us on Twitter @JohnJayCollege.
