Design 2022

Police Misconduct

Visualization highlighting precinct social networks and collective behavior in law enforcement.
Police Misconduct

A Drawing Highlighting Distinctive Precinct Social Networks

The New York police system is a vast interpersonal network with complex social relationships. In the process of law enforcement, the role played by the police is not merely individual but reflects collective decision-making.

NYPD Hierarchy

Research Questions

  • Is there a correlation between police interpersonal relationships and social networks and their misconduct?
  • Do more experienced police officers have a higher common rate of misconduct?
  • In neighboring jurisdictions, where police social connections are stronger, is there a higher rate of collective misconduct?
Network Visualization
Persuasive Drawing

Design Decisions and Rationale

  • Complexity inside simplicity: A disjointed force chart depicting complex networks with numerous nodes and connections.
  • Expressing hierarchy: Police officers with a higher number of abuse cases have larger circles, and darker colors indicate higher ranks.
  • Visualization of Collective Behavior: Clustering cases around precincts underscores the concept that misconduct can be influenced by an officer's immediate environment.
Social Network Detail

Deceptive Drawing

A counter-visualization designed to portray misconduct as an individual practice unrelated to work social networks.

Deceptive Bar Chart

Deceptive Rationale

  • Deceptive Positions: Placing "no abuse" at the visual center to focus attention on innocent officers.
  • Deceptive Color: Using a calming grey/blue palette for most data to downplay the severity of misconduct.
  • Deceptive Data Processing: Using percentages rather than absolute values to minimize the visual impact of misconduct in large precincts.

Data Transformation

The project involved extensive data pivoting and cleaning, transforming raw NYPD records into structured JSON for D3.js force-directed simulations.

Data Processing
Pivoted Data

Final Reflection

Through this analysis, the project critically evaluates how data visualization techniques can be employed to shape narratives. It highlights the profound impact design choices have on data interpretation, especially on complex and sensitive social issues. Navigating these ethical dilemmas responsibly becomes a crucial skill for any data storyteller.