Geography and Public Safety: A Quarterly Bulletin of Applied Geography for the Study of Crime & Public Safety, Volume 1, Issue 1

• NCJ Number: 222175
• Journal: Geography & Public Safety Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2008 Pages: 1-15
• Date Published: February 2008
• Length: 15 pages
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Report (Technical)

Annotation

Articles in this issue of Geography & Public Safety explain applied geography for the study of crime and public safety, how to use computer software and crime-cause theories in identifying and countering crime "hot spots," the features of a new software ("ModelBuilder") for geographic-information-system (GIS) tasks, and the features and functions of the new California University of Pennsylvania Crime Mapping Center.

Abstract

After presenting an overview of geographic technologies, theories, and principles, the article on applied geography for the study of crime and public safety discusses the use of computer software for crime mapping, the use of applied geography to understand crime and public safety, problem-oriented policing, and the creation of policy to prevent crime. The second article first defines "hot spots" ("areas with a greater than average number of criminal or disorder events or higher than average risk of victimization"), and then describes tools police can use to identify and analyze hot spots, followed by a discussion of theories for countering hot-spot crime. The third article describes the features and uses of Environmental Systems Research Institute's ModelBuilder, a component of geographic-information-system (GIS) software called ArcMap, which allows for "drag-and-drop" development of complex geoprocessing tasks. The article on the new California University of Pennsylvania's Crime Mapping Center notes that it is equipped with GIS technology that enables students to complete weekly and monthly crime-mapping reports for rural police departments. It is staffed by student volunteers interested in applying what they learn in the classroom to real problems facing police.