NCJ Number
208795
Journal
Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: 2005 Pages: 19-29
Date Published
2005
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This paper argues that the effective use of geographical information systems (GIS) by Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP's) in England and Wales has been impeded by a number of identified factors.
Abstract
Great Britain's 1998 Crime and Disorder Act instructed local authorities to cooperate with police and other relevant organizations to address crime within their jurisdictions. As of 2002, there were over 350 such partnerships, and 74 percent of them used GIS to map crime. Britain has a long history of cartography, and since the digitization process was completed in the mid-1990's, the Ordinance Survey has provided computerized base-maps that allow crime and other information to be overlaid using GIS packages. Largely through the two leading software firms, reasonably advanced GIS capabilities are available to virtually all partnerships, such that the issues of technology and system cost have largely been overcome. Still, the effective local use of crime mapping by CDRP's has been retarded by the slowness with which computerized maps have been made available to CDRP's, inadequate information technology knowledge and skills at the local level, and the difficulty of managing partnerships successfully. In spite of these obstacles, however, many CDRP's have managed to address them, largely through knowledgeable and innovative leadership at the local level. The central government has had little influence in facilitating and standardizing the use of GIS. This paper argues that the current "bottom-up" approach to the development of the local use of GIS in crime mapping may be the preferred strategy, since it allows for flexibility and the tailoring of systems to local needs and resources. It remains to be seen whether an appropriate balance can be found between local innovation and the development of a centralized approach to crime mapping for localities. 59 references