Touchdown

With the submission of the final paper and presentation of my findings, the march of research is now complete. I've thrown a game-winning touchdown to win the Super Bowl! When I began my preliminary research last summer, I quickly realized there is a severe lack of conversations surrounding the impact professional sports have on crime in general. After narrowing my scope to the NFL specifically, the basis of a gap was reinforced as I was only able to find one source addressing the Super Bowl and crime. This led me to delve into the Super Bowl specifically and my eventual decision to study its impact on crime, leading me to my research goal of determining crime fluctuations as a result of Super Bowls. My choices to utilize a variety of police databases published by departments nationwide, relevant to the studied cities, certainly impacted my research process. Instead of using a single online source such as the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, my research aimed to capture local reporting by authorities. While the choice reinforced my findings and decreased research bias, it became increasingly difficult when trying to find police reports for years prior. I was able to overcome this difficulty by reverting my efforts to the LexisNexis Community Crime map if police databases for a city were unavailable. 

In a growing age of television entertainment and the growing popularity of the annual Super Bowl, it's vital to understand the Super Bowl’s impact on its following base, more specifically, crime. With my findings revealing that violent crime does change in the months relating to the Super Bowl event, local authorities across Super Bowl participating cities can better anticipate sources of violent crime. Therefore, the safety and security of innocent fans can be protected from potential harm. With my research focusing on violent crime specifically, future research must focus on other subsections of crime, such as property or organized crime. With more research on other types of crime, definite conclusions can be made on the Super Bowl’s impact on crime in selected time ranges relevant to the event. Furthermore, with my uncovered difficulties in accessing information published by local authorities, future research could advance the push for the need of timely information published my local authorities. With specific and timely data, date ranges relevant to the Super Bowl can also be narrowed and determine if the Super Bowl is the true cause for fluctuations in crime. 

My current knowledge on how the Super Bowl appears to impact violent crime in the monthly ranges relevant to the event now leads me to be curious about the impact other professional sporting events may have on crime. With my research project eventually focusing on the NFL and Super Bowl, it becomes essential to inquire into the impact of other events, such as the NBA Finals or Olympics, on subsections of crime like property crime. My research has prepared me to explore these curiosities by gaining knowledge on the lack of accessibility of crime databases and information available online. With more accessible and timely data, the grander scholarly conversation on sports and crime can be furthered. As an individual high school researcher, there was substantial uncertainty about the limitations I may have faced in accessing crime data online. However, with guidance from my AP Research professors and following a structured, reliable research process, I was able to overcome the uncertainty I faced. For instance, when uncertain about the totality of data collection, I determined that data collection would conclude as a gradual fall off in available data was noticed, overcoming an uncontrollable factor. The most important skill I learned as an individual high school researcher was the importance of including backup plans and adaptability to limitations faced by online data collection. Both the final presentation and paper added to my experience on the importance of practice and preparation. I learned vital presentation skills, such as audience engagement and simplification of terms to convey my topic in the best manner possible. Whether in my future education or career, I can continue to construct reliable failsafe plans; therefore, once faced with a challenge, I am not faced with worry. Touchdown scored!

Final Paper

ABSTRACT

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In 2026, sports have become a global entertainment factor, with fans gathering from vast backgrounds to watch their favorite team compete. However, current research minimally explores the impact professional sporting events, such as the National Football League’s Super Bowl, potentially have on inciting crime. This study delves into the intricacies of the relation between the annual Super Bowl and its role in impacting violent crime in the relevant host, winning, and losing cities of the event. The research aimed to answer the question of how the Super Bowl exacts a toll on crime. Data revealed that the Super Bowl may truly have an impact on crime from the months surrounding the event in the selected yearly range. While the monthly range draws skepticism to the true impact of the event on crime, future research can advance the need for precise police databases to single out the influence of the function. Through thorough online data collection and intricate data collection choices, challenges of sourcing police crime databases are surfaced, and future research in the field of sports and crime is planned. 

Keywords: sports, violent crime, National Football League, Super Bowl, police department.

Final Presentation