Motor Vehicle Theft: Regional Problem Analysis and GPS-based Mapping in a Rural Area

N.C. State University, in collaboration with the Western Piedmont Council of Governments and county and municipal law enforcement agencies in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties in North Carolina, propose to examine motor vehicle theft, mapping offense and recovery locations across the region. The mapping of regional data across up to 28 jurisdictions will shed light on the spatial distribution of the offense in a rural area. The study will also establish precise coordinates for motor vehicle offenses, using Global Positioning System units, to determine the additional analytic or strategic value of using such data in areas where address-based locations may lack useful specificity.

In addition to expanding knowledge of crime in rural areas, the research study will establish and demonstrate the relevance and desirability of regional mapping, and provide law enforcement agencies with in-depth findings about motor vehicle theft and its relationship to contextual features in the region. The analysis will assist law enforcement with the problem-solving process, and inform the development of effective crime prevention practices.

Ca/ncf