San Francisco Car Break-ins: Where and When
TLDR:
Problem: Car break-ins are a common occurrence in San Francisco. Where and when are these break-ins happening? How has it been for 2023? How about for the last 28 days?
Dataset: SF Police Department Incident Reports
Visualization: Tableau Dashboard
Steps:
1) Describe dataset and preprocessing
2) Compare 2022 and 2023 monthly car break-ins
3) Analyze 2023 for hot spots
4) Analyze last 28 days for hot spots, and time of day
5) Summary
1) Describe Dataset and Preprocessing
— Dataset comes from the SF Police Department incident reports. This data is typically updated daily, but the Tableau visualization is not updated daily.
— Strict focus is put on “car break-ins with items stolen valued > $0” .
— Data is filtered to include only “Larceny Thefts, from [Locked and Unlocked] Vehicles, > $0”. Motor vehicle thefts, and stolen automobile parts are not included. Also, incident reports with description “Unfounded” are filtered out.
2) Compare 2022 and 2023 Monthly Car Break-ins
— Monthly car break-ins are similar between January — August.
— Sharp decline in car break-ins for 2023 September and October. Cause not known. *If you know why, please send me a message or leave a comment*.
3) Analyze 2023 For Hot Spots
— Main hot spots are in the Central and Northern police districts. Note that the police districts have different area sizes.
4) Last 28 Days (10/5 to 11/2): Hot Spots, And Time
— Central and Northern districts remain the hot spots.
— Next, when do these break-ins happen?
— Break-ins tend to happen before lunch (10am — 12pm), and during dinner (6–8 pm).
— No strong weekday trend for last 28 days (2023).
— Central district hotspots are Fisherman’s Wharf and Telegraph Hill.
— Fisherman’s Wharf, Monday 10am-12pm, is a hot spot.
— Intersection of Franklin and Fell Street, Wed — Fri 6–9pm, is a hot spot. Probably happens during major night events.
— Nearby venues include: 1) War Memorial Opera House 2) San Francisco Symphony 3) SF Jazz.
5) Summary
— Data filtered for “car break-ins with items stolen valued > $0” .
— Data visualization located at Tableau Dashboard.
— 2022 and 2023 total SF car break-ins similar for months Jan — Aug.
— 2023 Sep. and Oct. have steep drops compared to 2022. Cause unknown. *If you know why, please send me a message or leave a comment*.
— Central and Northern police districts have the most car-break-ins.
— Break-ins tend to happen before lunch (10am — 12pm), and during dinner (6–8 pm).
— In Central, Fisherman’s Wharf, Monday 10am-12pm, is a hot spot.
— In Northern, Intersection of Franklin and Fell Street, Wed — Fri 6–9pm, is a hot spot. Probably happens during major night events.
