NCJ Number
214164
Date Published
2006
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This paper presents a comprehensive review of Geocoding methods, which are used to analyze hypothetical crime data from the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Abstract
Results indicated that the hybrid geocoding techniques employed here enabled 68.5 percent of crime data to be geocoded on exact location, 6.0 percent to be geocoded in nearby buildings, 16.5 percent to be geocoded on road, and 8.0 percent to be geocoded on highway and avenue. Only 1 percent of the total data was not geocoded. Geocoding is the most commonly used method of incorporating crime data into a Geographic Information System (GIS) for use in crime analysis. The author used 2002 crime data from the Kingdom of Bahrain to illustrate the geocoding techniques, although the data presented was hypothetical to protect the actual unpublished crime data. Crime data available for the study included (1) crime in buildings; (2) crime other than in buildings; and (3) crime in sea. Hybrid geocoding was employed in order to use the maximum crime data available. The following hybrid geocoding methods were adopted based on the types of data available: (1) geocoding with address spatial data; (2) geocoding with road centerline using block and road information; and (3) geocoding in sea using latitude and longitude. In closing, the author cautions that the geocoding method used depends on the availability of reference geographic data and on the design of crime records. Figures, references