Brochures

Crime Analysis— The Current State One of the foundations of criminological theory is that three things are needed for a crime to occur: a motivated offender, a suitable target and a location. Once the first two pieces of this crime triangle are in place, the opportunity is set for a criminal act to happen, so it is only natural that analysts use geographic information system (GIS) technology to map crime locations. However, putting dots on the map is just the initial step in understanding a crime problem. The context of the criminal event must be analyzed and compared with other crime data to derive meaning from it, detect patterns in the data and grasp the bigger picture. As crime analysis has matured, so, too, have the techniques for mapping crime. Analysts began by aggregating crime data, identifying patterns and clusters, exploring the relationship between crime and other types of datasets, and assessing the effectiveness of crime-reduction strategies. All these techniques relied on GIS mapping. At the same time, researchers and police agencies began to realize that they could integrate Esri mapping software with law enforcement records management systems. This integration of systems with advanced analysis techniques enabled more sophisticated methods of mapping and analyzing crime incidents and patterns. Today, analysts are not only expected to participate in the tactical crime analysis process but also support CompStat, data-driven and strategic policing initiatives; public information requests; crime statistics reporting and investigations; and the management of databases and sensor systems. Analysts are facing new challenges with the following: • Disparate systems • Limited access or discovery • Sharing and collaboration The result is a complete crime analysis system that reveals trends, patterns and relationships. Esri ArcGIS software improves your crime reduction strategy by helping you: • Develop robust crime analysis capacity • Organize and understand your data • Achieve comprehensive situational awareness • Enable agency-wide self-service mapping. • Empower officers in the field with real-time data Building Better Analysis—with GIS The Esri platform breaks down data barriers and integrates multiple systems to present a complete picture—using geography. Analysts can derive meaning from data, using location as the foundation for sophisticated analysis. GIS extends analysis beyond the desktop by giving the analyst a means to mash up and deliver data, maps and analytical products as online maps and apps that can then be shared with the rest of the organization.

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