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Effective crime control using GIS
Dr. R. Sahu Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management Gwalior E-mail:sahu_rajendra@hotmail.com Telephone Numbers: 0751-2449 804, 9893198467 Peeyush Srivastava Room No 352, Boys Hostel Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management Gwalior E-mail:sr_peeyush@yahoo.com Telephone Numbers: 0751-2449 804, 9893198467
Introduction
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. Crime: Crime is a complex, multi-dimensional event that occurs when the law, offender and target (refers to a person in personal crimes and an object in property crimes) converge in time and place (such as a street corner, address, building or street segment).  Spatial distribution of the density of motor vehicle theft for each day of the week in adelaide study area
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