Crime Mapping

Crime mapping is the process of taking events and displaying them spatially across a certain geographic space. It allows the user a different perspective on crime and disorder problems as events can be seen in the context of social spaces, geographic clusters, and temporal variations. Crime mapping has evolved from simply plotting criminal incidents on a paper map with pins to complex analysis techniques that allow the prediction of future crime locations. Researchers and police officials have [Page 100]also seen the benefit of mapping not only crime, but other geographical elements which help paint a fuller picture of the underlying criminal phenomenon. Mapping is an important adjunct to community policing and problem because it allows analysts to map, visualize, and examine patterns of crime. This ...