Abstract This paper explains that crime maps can be used not only to solve but also to prevent crimes. The author points out that, beginning about in the early 1900s, the earliest crime maps were pin maps, color-coded pins physically placed on wall maps. The paper relates that the use of mainframe computers for mapping was so labor intensive that it was only worth making a map if it was going to be used as a base map for a large area. The author indicates that, in the 1990s, the availability of personal computers and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) programs made mapping easier, faster and with much more detail. The author relates that crime pattern analysts include key mapping factors, such as the location, distance, and other thematic information, to create visual representations of information that can be used by the various participants in the criminal justice system.
From the Paper "The general public is also able to use crime maps. In Oakland, California the police department posts their crime maps on the Internet so that everyone can be informed about crime in their neighborhood. The Oakland Mayor explained that people are unable to ignore the plight of their neighborhood if the crime statistics are openly available. The public is also able to use crime maps to decide where they want to live when moving to a new city. Having the crime statistics on a map allows a person to see exactly where crime has and is likely to continue to happen in exact neighborhoods."
