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Fortunately, Minnesota has a relatively low rate of homicide. This makes it possible, with limited resources, to evaluate all cases of homicide over the past 30 years, for evidence of same-sex or transgender elements.
Minnesota also has a strong LGBT community and well-established LGBT
organizations that provide detailed information and resources on homicide and
violence.
Researchers will use this data to answer pressing questions about LGBT violence that until now have been unanswerable. With the construction of this database, we may finally learn the true extent of victimization of LGBT people. In
order for this research to be reliable, the Center for Homicide Research believes that a data-set needs to be constructed using information on homicides
as its sample. This means examining all homicides – both homosexual and
heterosexual.
No. The process of constructing this data-set is time-consuming, complicated and expensive. Although information on some LGBT homicides has been collected, there has never been a concerted effort to document and examine all homicide deaths. In addition, little research has been done on LGBT homicide in general and much of existing research is inherently flawed. Researchers from the FBI, as well as the
national community of homicide researchers, are excited about this project.
While it is difficult to predict the exact questions individual researchers will ask, basic questions might include:
These
are just a few of the many and varied questions that might be answered using
this data. It is predicted that this project will profoundly change how LGBT
homicide is viewed in the future. The Minnesota Data-set of LGBT Homicide 1970-2000 is a research project of the Center for Homicide Research. The Center for Homicide Research is an independent, volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization whose mission is to identify, understand and prevent homicide. The research on LGBT homicide began in the early 1990s. The CHR was originally incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1999 under the name Minnesota Gay Homicide Study. In 2004, it changed it name to the Center for Homicide Research. The scope of its mission expanded in July 2007 to include all varieties of homicide. It is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Volunteer staff includes researchers trained in research methodology, crime scene investigation, death investigation, statistics, and research ethics. The
research is conducted by volunteer staff under the supervision of Principal
Researcher, Dallas Drake and a panel of academic research advisors. As an all-volunteer organization, the Center for Homicide Research is funded by generous community support. A growing number of individual contributors make up a large portion of our financial support. The Center is also supported by generous grants from the Colorado-based Gill Foundation and locally by Philanthrofund Foundation through the John Chenoweth Human Rights Fund Award. The Center received start-up funding from the Grotto Foundation. The
Center receives no government funding.
The long-range goal of CHR is to place the completed data-set in the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data located at Ann Arbor, Michigan. This archive is used by researchers, law enforcement, policy-makers and many others to analyze trends in crime and public safety. Prior to the placement of this data, all identifiers (names, addresses, etc.) will be deleted from the data to help insure ethical use and protect the privacy of surviving friends and family members. As the
database is being developed, it is being critiqued and queried by a small group
of researchers representing many fields of study. To ensure safekeeping of the
information, all data are backed up.
As of
summer 2004, there were approximately 95 cases in Minnesota. (These numbers are approximate because the data-set is incomplete.)
Regarding LGBT homicide, the Center's long-term goals include increasing the ability of investigators to solve LGBT homicides and prosecutors to win convictions against offenders. It also seeks to better articulate LGBT homicide issues such as case identification, robbery victimization, bias motivation, intimate-partner violence and much etc.
Ultimately, the goal of the
Center for Homicide Research
is to reduce the
overall incidence of homicide by focusing on prevention. We seek to identify
risk factors that place people in a position of vulnerability. We also seek to
identify protective factors, making it safer for all. Community members can recommend students for our Internship Training Academy. Student interns are always needed to conduct research and to assist in day-to-day operations. The Center provides training and support for all activities. All intern candidates are required to be interviewed and to undergo a rigorous background check through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Financial support is also needed to defray costs for records and data retrieval, travel and educational materials. You can donate ONLINE at our Home Page. Anyone with information about specific homicide cases should contact the Center with this valuable data. |
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