Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/747522
Solution In collaboration with Esri Canada Professional Services Consultants, Gatineau developed a unique mobile application that uses ArcGIS 10 to make basemaps, property boundaries, street names and addresses available on mobile tablets. Using Motion-J3500 mobile devices, municipal officials tasked with inspecting graffiti can locate its position on a map through GPS, and open a new file on site. Through customized digital forms, they can record relevant details such as the date, physical address, property ownership and action required. They can also collect and upload photos. The customized mobile application stores and manages images of the graffiti along with other tabular data, which is then transferred back to Gatineau's main database. After the data has been recorded as a spatial layer, property owners are notified and sent informative pamphlets regarding graffiti removal and cleanup. Once the graffiti has been removed, the incident is marked as 'closed' in the system. Digital information can then be shared with other stakeholders within the municipality as well as partnering organizations involved in graffiti removal and prevention. Benefits For the first time in Gatineau's history, the community department's youth program is able to maintain a record of incidents to analyze trends and patterns. With this new approach, information can be easily shared with key stakeholders to facilitate a coordinated, interdepartmental effort. In particular, data can be leveraged by local police and municipal planning departments to introduce targeted prevention strategies. Because perpetrators often sign their work with distinctive tags, the creator of the work can often be identified using the collected data and images. By leveraging a historical database of incidents, problem areas can also be readily identified along with the costs associated with removing graffiti in specific neighbourhoods. This information is used to make critical decisions regarding awareness, prevention and cleanup. Graffiti that is considered discriminatory, vulgar or offensive is always prioritized for removal. Looking ahead, the city will continue to work with community organizations to develop new strategies for preventing and cleaning up illegal graffiti and tags. Gatineau becomes a leader in graffiti prevention | Esri Canada 2 Through ArcGIS, staff can easily navigate around the city and pull up information on site. Using the mobile device, staff can search for addresses based on attributes. " We're now able to get a complete snapshot of the situation so that we can take a proactive approach to prevention. As a result, we've greatly reduced the occurrence of graffiti throughout our city, and are arming property owners with the information they need to better protect themselves." Richard Quinn Ville de Gatineau