AbstractGrids Deployment to Identify Crime Hot Spots (TAAGs)Track: Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Author The COMPSTAT/Crime Analysis Unit of the Dallas, TX, Police Department was tasked with identifying violent crime hot spots for the year 2009. Traditional police beats and sectors were not to be used. The decision was made to use a known mapping procedure but with a different approach. A grid layer consisting of 1/16th square mile grids was created and placed over the city boundaries. Violent crimes were joined to the grids and summarized. Twenty-six "Targeted Action Area Grids", (TAAGs), averaging approximately 16 grids, (1 square mile), were identified. Stated another way, 5% or 20 of the city's 385 square miles were used to identify 38% of the city's total violent crimes. Measurement and analysis is now more precise and accomplished via the grids. Also, movement of crime within the "TAAGs" is more easily monitored and assessed as well as the analysis of various other criminal activities throughout the city. William Haskins Dallas Police Dept 1400 S Lamar St Dallas, Texas 75215 United States Phone: 214-671-3951 Fax: 214-671-4612 E-mail: roy.haskins@dpd.ci.dallas.tx.us Steve Armon Dallas Police Dept 1400 S Lamar St Dallas, Texas 75215 United States Phone: 217-671-3062 E-mail: steve.armon@dpd.ci.dallas.tx.us |