Leveraging AI to Predict and Prevent Gun and Gang Violence

Background

The challenge of gun and gang violence goes beyond physical security measures. According to Voice 4 Impact, traditional methods like bolstering school security address only part of the problem. A proactive approach is needed to identify threats early, mitigate risks, and safeguard children and staff before violence occurs.

Objective

The primary goal was to leverage AI to identify, classify, and mitigate potential threats related to gun and gang violence, empowering schools, law enforcement, and public safety officials with tools to take preventative action.

Approach

The project focused on analyzing social media data, specifically tweets, to identify threatening behavior:

• Tweet Classification Tool: Developed to label tweets efficiently, facilitating machine learning model training.
• Sentiment Analysis: Built a machine learning model to classify tweets as threatening or non-threatening.
• Community-Based Network Analysis: Created a directed graph using the Girvan-Newman algorithm to detect community structures.
• Influential Member Identification: Leveraged PageRank to pinpoint key individuals within the network.

The solutions were designed without profiling individuals, ensuring a collective analysis of potential threats while respecting privacy.

Results and Impact

The AI solutions developed were integrated into the INTELLIGENT DATA ECOSYSTEM® (I.D.ECO), enabling proactive monitoring of potential threats:

• Real-Time Threat Detection: Allowed for early identification and mitigation of gun and gang violence.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Empowered school administrators, law enforcement, and public safety officials with actionable insights.
• Privacy-Centric Analysis: Focused on collective social media behavior rather than individual profiling.

By leveraging proven marketing technologies to interpret social media intent, this AI-driven approach provides a robust mechanism to understand and predict threatening behavior.

Future Implication

The integration of AI into tools like I.D.ECO opens doors for more comprehensive safety measures across communities. These findings have the potential to influence policy development and further research into AI applications for public safety. The proactive nature of this technology ensures a safer environment for schools and communities, paving the way for innovative methods to prevent violence before it occurs.