Summary:

This report is part of a series of studies commissioned by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to determine the effects of Massachusetts’ new casinos on the public safety of the surrounding regions. A crime analyst with expertise in police data systems and police data analysis was contracted to extract data and provide before-and-after comparisons of crime, calls for service, and traffic collisions.

This is the first report concerning the Springfield‐area agencies likely to be affected by the opening of MGM Springfield in the summer of 2018. It is a baseline report, and as such, there are no particular “findings” in relation to any changes in public safety issues caused by the casino. Those will be covered in a series of 2019 reports.