Micfry GISPro Consult

DISCOVERING THE WORLD THROUGH GIS

GIS Day provides an international forum
for users of geographic information
systems (GIS) technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in our society. come 18 Nov; 2015 micfryGISPro consult will join rest of the international communities to celebrate WORLD GIS DAY. And micfryGISPro consult will celebrate this in grand style by offering 3hrs free GIS training to everyone who will come to our head office to celebrate with us at No 6 Peace Avenue FUTA south gate Akure Ondo State.

GIS as a tool in detecting crime.

Prior to the computers the law enforcing
authorities had a tough job controlling
the crime, they had a very limited
resources compared to resources which
modern crime fighters have today.
Computers have really changed the
dynamics of crime fighting; crime
fighters are now armed with latest
technology which helps them to nab the
culprits in no time.
Crime is a human phenomenon;
therefore its distribution in space is not
random (National Institute of Justice (NIJ
website). Crime analysis methods are
important because they help to identify
the different geographic patterns in
criminal behavior. There are many
conventional tools that allow crime data
analysis, but GIS software can create a
single visual output that combines
multiple data layers into a meaningful
output. The analysis between crime and
other factors, for example, demography,
housing, income, or social conditions,
can lead to the understanding of the
place and crime relationship based on
the conditions compared.
GIS started in era of Mainframe
computer, at that time it was a costly
affair and not many law enforcing
agencies can afford this technology, but
the migration of GIS from mainframe to
desktop computer has provided the law
enforcing agencies a cost effective
option for crime control. GIS has evolved
as a powerful analytical tool in the last
few decades. Due to the slashing down of
prices of GIS software, this technology is
now easily available to any law
enforcing agency in the world.
Information management has always
been a main concern for Law
enforcement authorities, especially the
location information. Traditional law
enforcement approaches--confidential
information through informers, street
investigations, and undercover
operations—are effective ways of data
collection. However, data collection
without data analysis is of no use, GIS
allow effective integration and analysis
of data to identify, apprehend, and
prosecute suspects; it also helps the law
enforcing agency to provide against
crime through effective allocation of
resources.
Today, with the rapid advancement of
technology, a computer-based technique
for exploring, visualizing, and
examining the occurrences of criminal
activity is essential. One of the more
influential tools facilitating exploration
of the spatial distribution of crime is
GIS. The fundamental strength of GIS
over traditional crime analytical tools
and methods is the ability to visualize,
analyze and explain the criminal
activity in a spatial context. Certain
environmental factors, such as the
physical layout of the area, proximity to
various services and land use are likely
to influence criminal behavior and it is
necessary to take them into account
when analyzing the crime data.
The majority (91%) of law enforcement
departments using GIS software reported
the use of geo-coding. This method is the
initial and vital step in the creation of a
geographical data collection database, so
that the data includes exact time and
location information. Consequently,
modern GIS software allows law
enforcement agencies to produce more
versatile electronic maps by combining
their crime databases of reported crime
locations with digitized maps of the
target areas.