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Political Science Undergraduate Caleb Huffman Wins Library Research Award for "Fuel on the Flame: Open-Air Drug Markets and Homicide Clusters"

Submitted by Stephen Dunne on June 8, 2018 - 1:31pm

Congratulations to Caleb Huffman. The Population Health Initiative has awarded Population Health Recognition Awards to four students participating in the annual Library Research Award for Undergraduates. Award winners were chosen based on the quality of their writing and how well they connected their work to the theme of population health.

From the site description

Homicide hotspots are shown to be intensified by the introduction of open-air drug markets. Although the introduction of an open-air hotspot is not necessary for a homicide hotspot to occur, open-air drug markets act as fuel to the flame, sustaining increased intensity of homicide hotspots through trends that would typically work to deter homicide occurrence, like an improved economy. The results are achieved through a qualitative process tracing of Seattle and two of its neighborhoods. A theoretical explanation for the phenomena is discussed under the theoretical frameworks section and suggestions for further research proposed in the discussion section.

Link to announcement page.

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