Abstract

Drug Task Force and Metro Mapping Department Working Together
Track: Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
Author(s): Mary Beth Stephens

Felony drug offenses committed within 1,000 feet of the boundary of a Drug Free Zone requires the sentence be served at 100%, no probation or parole. These zones include public and private schools, daycares, libraries, parks, and recreation centers. Instead of using odometers or tape measures, the Drug Task Force wanted to utilize GIS tools for more accurate measurement of distances involved in drug cases. Using ArcMap, Metro Nashville Mapping Department created a layer of 1000' buffers around these zones to determine which cases conform to the requirements of the Drug-Free School Zone Act. Exact locations of illegal activities are determined with GPS equipment, and the data collected can then be used in conjunction with ArcMap to produce maps for courtroom exhibits.

Mary Beth Stephens
Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County
800 2nd Av S
Nashville , Tennessee 37201
United States
Phone: 615-862-7178
Fax: 615-862-4994
E-mail: marybeth.stephens@nashville.gov