Online Crime Mapping for Fostering Public Deliberation about Crime and Disorder

• In Event: Roundtable: Neighborhoods, Communities and Crime

Abstract

Map has been widely used to visualize spatial information and pattern of social and natural information for people. In criminology, many scholars have found that crime is clustering at specific places with crime maps (Brnatingham and Brantighham 1999; Roncek 2000; Sherman et al. 1989; Weisburd et al. 1992; Weisburd and Green 1994; Weisburd et al. 2004; Weisburd 2010; Weisburd et al., 2012). Police departments use crime maps to identify historically persistent crime hot spots and intervene the areas. However, many citizens still have less opportunity to see crime maps that clearly identify safe or crime risk places. Recognizing high risk of crime areas could reduce public vicitimizations by reducing probabilities of being targeted simply away from identified crime hot spots. The aim of this study is to evaluate current crime mapping techniques from the existing mapping services and provide alternate mapping methods to improve public awareness of crime hot spots.

Author

• Sang Jun Park, George Mason University