NCJ Number
190389
Journal
Crime Mapping News Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 2000 Pages: 1-4
Date Published
2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article laid the foundation for law enforcement practitioners and researchers to develop a common understanding of tactical crime analysis and the role of geographic information systems (GIS).
Abstract
The aim of crime analysis in the context of law enforcement is to provide information that will inform and assist crime control activity. It is the development of information of use for crime prevention and detection activities. This article concentrates on the terminology, methods, and techniques of "tactical crime analysis" and the role of geographic information systems (GIS). Tactical crime analysis is the study of reported crime, calls for service, and other related information in order to inform short-term operational crime control activities and problem solving. The first section of the article defines the overarching concepts of pattern and trend and then defines particular types of patterns and trends that an analyst might seek to identify, such as series, spree, hotspot, hot dot, hot product, and hot target. The second and final section of the article discusses aerial maps and their usefulness in analyzing and illustrating criminal activity. These allow analysts and investigators to assess the environmental characteristics of a location. Three examples of tactical crime analysis mapping were presented, residential burglary, auto theft and recovery locations, and identifying investigative leads for a sexual assault. References