Faculty / Elizabeth Groff

Dr. Groff’s primary research interests are in crime and place; modeling geographical influences on human activity; agent-based modeling as a methodology for exploring theory; crime prevention; and policing especially the use of technology in law enforcement agencies. Her current research includes: (1) a test of the efficacy of burglary prevention based on near repeat patterns with Dr. Taniguchi (Police Foundation); (2) an exploration of the role of parks in urban neighborhoods in Philadelphia; (3) a project to investigate predicting municipality level crime counts with Dr. Taylor; (4) assisting the Philadelphia Police Department with the development of their analytic capacity with Dr. Ratcliffe and Ms. Joyce (PPD); (5) developing a more precise definition of ‘near’; and (6) an evaluation of CCTV camera’s effect on crime in Philadelphia, PA with Dr. Ratcliffe.

Selected Journal Publications:

Weisburd, D., Groff, E.R., and S-M Yang (In press).  Understanding and Controlling Hot Spots of Crime:  The Importance of Formal and Informal Social Controls.  Prevention Science.

 

Groff, E. R. and McCord. E. (2012).  The Role of Neighborhood Parks as Crime Generators.  Security Journal. 25: 1-24.  2012. Published on-line March 7, 2011.

 

Ratcliffe, J., T. Taniguchi, E.R. Groff and J. Wood (2011).  The Philadelphia Foot Patrol Experiment:  A Randomized Controlled Trial of Police Effectiveness in Violent Crime Hotspots. Criminology.  49(3):795-831. 2011.

 

Groff, E. R. (2011).  Exploring ‘Near’:  Characterizing the Spatial Extent of Drinking Place Influence on Crime. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology.  44(2) 156–179.

 

Groff, E.R., D. Weisburd, and Yang, S-M. 2010.  Is it Important to Examine Crime Trends at a Local "Micro" Level?:  A Longitudinal Analysis of Block to Block Variability in Crime Trajectories.  Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 26:7-32.

 

Groff, E. R. 2007.  Simulation for Theory Testing and Experimentation: An Example Using Routine Activity Theory and Street Robbery. Journal of Quantitative Criminology 23:75-103.

Books:

Weisburd, D., E. Groff, et al. (2012). The Criminology of Place: Street Segments and Our Understanding of the Crime Problem. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

 

Rengert, G. F. and E. R. Groff (2011). Residential Burglary:  How the Urban Environment and Our Lifestyles Play A Contributing Role. Springfield, IL, Charles C. Thomas.

 

Selected Book Chapters:

Groff, E. R. (In Press). Measuring the Exposure of Places to Nearby Facilities Using Geoprocessing Models. Crime Modeling and Mapping Using Geospatial Technologies. M. Leitner. New York, Springer: 269-296.

 

Groff, E.R. and M.J. Fraley. Moving Agents on Representative Networks.  In K. Johnston (ed), Agent Analyst: Agent-Based Modeling in ArcGIS. ESRI Press: Redlands, CA. 2012. Pp. 203-238. http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/agent-analyst/.

 

Groff, E.R. and M.J. Fraley. Adding Complexity to Agent Movement on Representative Networks.  In K. Johnston, et al (ed), Agent Analyst: Agent-Based Modeling in ArcGIS. ESRI Press: Redlands, CA. 2012. Pp. 359-410. http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/agent-analyst/.

 

Groff, E.R., and T. McEwen. 2005.  Disaggregating the Journey to Homicide. In F. Wang (ed.), Geographic Information Systems and Crime Analysis. Idea Group: Hershey, PA.

Groff, E.R., and N.G. LaVigne. 2002.  Forecasting the Future of Predictive Crime Mapping. In N. Tilley (ed.), Analysis for Crime Prevention (Vol. 13, pp. 29-58). Criminal Justice Press: Monsey, NY.