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Abstract
The Impact of Crime Mapping in Detroit, Michigan
Track: Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
Author(s): David Martin
In October 1999, the Hudson-Webber Foundation awarded a grant to the Detroit Police Department and Wayne State University (WSU) to train 2,000 Detroit police officers in a new computerized crime-mapping system. The system uses ArcExplorer software (in combination with a Web browser) to provide daily information, in map form, to police officers across the City over the department's wide area computer network. Using the mapping system, officers can view crime patterns and access crime data, and supervisors can maximize resource allocation. In other cities, computerized crime mapping is credited with helping to dramatically reduce crime by supporting better problem solving. In Detroit the technology is being deployed so that it is accessible to all police officers -- from top executives to patrol officers. As such, the goal of this project is to effect systemic change that will result in improved policing and safety in the City of Detroit. This project features a rigorous evaluation. Key research questions focus on the use of the system by police officers at all levels (executive, command, investigative, patrol, special operations), officer data needs, officer opinions on the utility of mapping, and the actual impact of crime mapping on resource allocation and crime levels.
David Martin
Wayne State University
656 W Kirby St
Rm 3311 FAB
Detroit, MI 48202
USA
Phone: 3135776564
Fax: 3135771274
E-mail: demconsult@yahoo.com