Benchmark – Recommendation for Crime Reduction

The LexisNexis Crime Map is unquestionably one of the most innovative tools for
identifying and analyzing crime trends/patterns. This information can be used by law
enforcement officers to design targeted strategies to curb and prevent crimes. This benchmark
assignment identifies “theft” patterns and findings from the crime analysis performed in week
seven. Theft episodes from three police stations in Madison, Wisconsin – Madison Police
Department, Shorewood Hills Police Department, and Maple Bluff Police – were searched on the
LexisNexis Crime Map, listed on a matrix table, and analyzed. The theft incidents searched
include burglary from a motor vehicle, robbery-commercial, shoplifting, burglary-residential,
robbery-individual, theft (money), fraud/forgery, theft-other, burglary-commercial, and motor
vehicle theft. Firstly, the paper restates the crime patterns and findings from the analysis report,
identifies potential factors causing the crimes, and recommends suitable interventions to lower
these incidents. It also identifies other agencies that can partner with the three Police
Departments to reduce crime and suggests ways the law enforcement agencies can share
resources to lower crime rates.

Patterns and Findings from the Crimes Analysis Report

Several insights can be drawn from the crime analysis matrix. Firstly, most incidents
involve cash/money theft (all the Departments had three incidents). Another pattern is that a
larger proportion of these cash thefts occurred at the street/highway/road/alley (four) and an
unknown location (three). One incident around Shorewood Hills Police Department occurred at
the park. All the incidents occurred during daylight (Madison Police Department; 11:00 a.m.,
12:00 a.m., and 02:00 p.m.; Shorewood Hills Police Department, 11:30 a.m., 08:41 a.m., and

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08:46 a.m.; Maple Bluff Police Department, 05:00 p.m., 03:16 p.m., and 07:00 a.m.) and recently
(between May and August).
The second most prominent theft crime is fraud/forgery (a total five incidents for the
three Departments). These thefts have been reported between March and August, meaning they
are a persistent problem and are common in residential homes (two incidents), restaurants (two),
and the fifth incident was unreported. Asset/income falsifications are common identity theft
frauds and forgeries committed by homeowners. All the fraud & forgery crimes occurred in the
evening (03:24 p.m., 08:00 p.m., 07:43 p.m., 08:41 p.m., and 5:45 p.m.). Rental scams and credit
card fraud are other potential reasons for increased fraud/forgeries at residences.
There is also a unique increase in “bicycle theft” around the Madison Police Department,
especially along the street/highway/road/alley (three incidents) and restaurants (one event). The
bicycle theft incidents are spread throughout the day, with no specific time pattern. One occurred
at 09:00 a.m., and the others at 06:00 p.m., 01:00 a.m., and 11:18 p.m. Another emerging pattern
involves “theft from auto” (two incidents), particularly around Shorewood Hills Police
Department. One was reported at a residence/home in June at 07:30 p.m. and the other at the
street/highway at 11:00 p.m. in July. There is also an uptick in residential burglary (two
incidents, one in July and the other in August), often happening after lunch (02:30 p.m. and
02:45 p.m.). Potential target items for residential burglary may include personal documents,
jewelry, motorcycles, bicycles, and vehicles.
Finally, isolated single cases of fraud identity, armed robbery, and shoplifting were also
reported around Shorewood Hills Police Department. The “fraud identity” incident occurred at a
residential home on June at 10:00 a.m., the armed robbery at the “parking lot/ramp” on June at
05:52 p.m., and shoplifting at a liquor store on April at 02:20 p.m.

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Overall, based on “location type,” the highest crimes occurred along the
street/highway/road/alley (eight incidences), home/residence (seven), restaurant (two), bar/night
club (one), parking lot/ramp (one), park (one), and liquor store (one). The location of four
incidents were unreported/unknown, with money/cash theft accounting for 75% (three) of these
cases and document fraud/forgery one incident. All these cases are recent (occurring between
June and July) and in the evening.
Potential Factors Responsible for the Identified “Theft” Crimes in the Areas
There are multiple factors that could be directly responsible for the spike in theft
incidences around Madison Police Department (address, 211 S Carroll St, Madison, WI 53703,
United States), Shorewood Hills Police Department (810 Shorewood Blvd, Madison, WI 53705,
USA), and Maple Bluff Police Department (18 Oxford Pl, Madison, WI 53704, USA). One
potential explanation could be the harsh economic conditions in Madison city, especially a high
poverty rate and income inequality, which are forcing people to steal money and other valuable
items. At 16.6%, Madison city has one of the highest poverty rates in the country (US Census
Bureau, n.d.). This is significantly higher than the state (10.7%) and national (11.5%) rates.
It is also possible that Madison city’s high income/wage gap between the White majority
(76.1%) and other minority groups, including Africa Americans (6.8%) and Hispanics (7.8%),
might be contributing to inequality and high theft incidents. This is perhaps because the city’s
unemployment rate and median household income are relatively higher compared to the state and
national rates. Madison’s unemployment rate (1.7%) is significantly lower that the state (2.9%)
and the national averages (3.8%) (YCharts, n.d.; US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). The city
has a median household income of $70,466, which is significantly above the state ($67,080) and
the national ($69,021) rates (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d.). The low unemployment and

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high median household income leaves one feasible explanation for the high crime rate: high
inequality in the region. It is possible that socioeconomic opportunities are disproportionately
distributed between the majority white community and the minority groups, forcing the
marginalized communities to engage in crime.
Other factors that may be responsible for the uptick in crime rates in Madison city are
alcohol and drug abuse. Burglaries, snatchings, pickpocketing, and other theft incidents are often
closely linked with alcohol and substance abuse. Most drug addicts may engage in stealing to
support their dependance. The high substance abuse rate in the city is supported by evidence.
According to data from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation, nearly 25.5% of adults in Madison city acknowledge drinking
excessively. Over 381 metropolises were surveyed countrywide (Palmby, 2018). Ten of the 20
cities ranked came from Wisconsin, with ten of them coming from Wisconsin.
Another potential explanation for the spike in crime rates in the area may be linked with
increase in crime opportunities, absence of sufficient security interventions to curb crime, or a
decline in policing or patrolling in the three areas. It is possible that criminals can easily access
and target unattended, unlocked, and unsecured homes, restaurants, cars, bars, parks, liquor
stores, and other private/public properties. A decline in the presence of security officials and law
enforcement officers to deter crime is making its easy for thugs.
Recommendations for Reducing Theft in the Areas Based on Crime Patterns Uncovered
The first recommendation to deter crime is to increase police presence and install high-
tech security measures in private and public spaces. It is likely that insufficient law enforcement
or a lack thereof is responsible for the surge in theft cases across multiple areas, including public
spots that should be secured and protected 24/7, such as parks. One solution is to double police

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patrolling effort (officers and vehicles) in the three regions and station more police and security
officers in public and private properties. Bolstering security in the area also requires installing
the most recent technologies – surveillance cameras, security lighting, alarms, access control
systems, GPS tracking, license plate recognition, electronic fencing, smart home security
devices/systems, and burglar-proofing systems – to deter criminals from accessing public and
private properties. Residents can be advised to install these security tools to prevent crime. The
three police departments and other law enforcement agencies can also invest in the latest
technologies to assist in detecting, analyzing, and preventing thefts. Examples of these
technologies may include GPS tracking, video analytics tools, license plate recognition systems,
and drones.
Another solution is to increase partnerships and collaboration among law enforcement
agencies and between citizens, businesses, and law enforcement factions, including the three
police Departments. Community programs like Open House, National Night Out, Bike Patrols,
Shop with a Cop, Coffee with a Cop, Block Parties, Beacon of Safety, Holiday Food Drive, and
Multi-Cultural Liasson can improve communication and strengthen trust and bonds between law
enforcement officers, businesses, community members, and other partners (Maryland Police and
Correctional Training Commissions, n.d.). These programs can promote and stabilize community
policing and sharing of information between citizens and the police. Prevention education
programs and initiatives, such as “Gang Resistance Education and Training” and “Speak Up,
Save a Life,” can also equip community members with the knowledge and skills to prevent and
combat preventable crimes, such as pickpocketing, home intrusions, and bicycle thefts. Residents
can be trained on how to deter these avoidable incidents.

Other Agencies and Their Role in Lowering Crime

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The three police departments can partner with other law enforcement establishments at
the federal, state, or local levels to reduce crimes. Potential state agencies to partner with may
include Wisconsin State Fair Park Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Corrections,
Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Local agencies may
include county offices, such as Barron County Sheriff’s Office, and municipal agencies, such as
Adams Police Department. Federal agencies may comprise of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Collaborating with these security agencies may encourage the sharing of expertise, intelligence,
and resources to combat local, state, and cross-jurisdictional thefts.
The thee police departments can also partner with
Ways the Three Departments can Share Resources to Reduce Theft Near Their Stations

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References

Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions. (n.d.). Examples: Community policing
initiatives. https://mdle.net/pdf/Examples_Comm_Pol_Initiatives.pdf
Palmby, T. (2018, Oct 17). Does Madison have an alcohol problem, as Mayor Paul Soglin says?
The Observatory. https://observatory.journalism.wisc.edu/2018/03/21/does-madison-
have-an-alcohol-problem-as-mayor-paul-soglin-says
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). Economy at a glance: Madison, WI.
https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.wi_madison_msa.htm
US Census Bureau. (n.d.). Quick facts: Madison city, Wisconsin.
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/madisoncitywisconsin/LND110210
YCharts. (n.d.). Wisconsin unemployment rate (I: WUR01),
https://ycharts.com/indicators/wisconsin_unemployment_rate#:~:text=Wisconsin%20Unemploy
ment%20Rate%20is%20at,long%20term%20average%20of%205.28%25.