Is a set of computer-based tools that allow a person to modify visualize query and analyze geographic and tabular data?

LEA 104- FINAL PERIODIntroduction to Crime MappingEver since maps have been available that depict the geographic features of communities, such as streets and cityboundaries, police departments have used such maps to determine patrol areas and emergency routes as well as toassist patrol officers in finding specific addresses. Police departments have also mapped crime, a process that, untilrecently, involved the manual placement of pins on hand-drawn wall maps. This chapter discusses the emergence ofcomputerized crime mapping as a tool for conducting crime analysis. It begins with an introduction to key terms andthen describes basic concepts before presenting a history of crime mapping and information on the field’s current statusand career paths.Definition of Terms:GIS (Geographic Information System)-is a powerful software tool that allows the user to create any kind of geographic representation, from a simplepoint map to a three-dimensional visualization of spatial or temporal data.- A GIS is a set of computer-based tools that allows the user to modify, visualize, query, and analyze geographicand tabular data. A GIS is similar to a spreadsheet or word processing program in that the software provides a frameworkand templates for data collection, collation, and analysis, and it is up to the user to decide what parts of the system touse and how to use them. A GIS does more than enable the user to produce paper maps; it also allows him or her toview the data behind geographic features, combine various features, manipulate the data and maps, and performstatistical functionsCrime MappingCrime mapping is a term used in policing to refer to the process of conducting spatial analysis within crimeanalysis. For the purposes of this book, the definition of crime mapping is as follows: Crime mapping is the process ofusing a geographic information system to conduct spatial analysis of crime problems and other police-related issues.HISTORY OF CRIME MAPPINGEven though crime mapping plays a significant role in crime analysis today, conducting spatial analysis and creating crimemaps have only recently become common in policing and crime analysis, thanks to advancements in technology. Unlikecrime analysis, the history of crime mapping begins not with the establishment of the first police force, but withresearchers long before computers were invented.Beginnings of Crime MappingIn the 1800s, European researchers who adhered to the school of thought known as the cartographic school ofcriminology examined the levels of crime within different areas (regions) and the relationship of these levels tosociological factors, such as socioeconomic status (Groff & La Vigne, 2002). For example, in 1829, Adriano Balbi, anethnographer and geographer, and André-Michel Guerry, a lawyer, created the first maps of crime using criminalstatistics for the years 1825 to 1827 and demographic data from the census. They examined crimes against property,

Definition: GIS

A geographic information system (GIS) is a powerful software tool that allows the user to create any kind of geographic representation, from a simple point map to a three-dimensional visualization of spatial or temporal data.

A GIS is a set of computer-based tools that allows the user to modify, visualize, query, and analyze geographic and tabular data.

A GIS is similar to a spreadsheet or word processing program in that the software provides a framework and templates for data collection, collation, and analysis, and it is up to the user to decide what parts of the system to use and how to use them. A GIS does more than enable the user to produce paper maps; it also allows him or her to view the data behind geographic features, combine various features, manipulate the data and maps, and perform statistical functions.

Definition: Crime Mapping

Crime mapping is a term used in policing to refer to the process of conducting spatial analysis within crime analysis. Crime mapping is the process of using a geographic information system to conduct spatial analysis of crime problems and other police-related issues.