Observations

Virtually every operational activity in the police department includes spatial
relationships. Traditionally, these activities have been supported by paper maps and pins. Police officers now have the ability to immediately generate maps directly relevant to the situation at hand. Police agencies collect vast amounts of data from many sources including called-for-services, arrests, first information reports and daily report. Data in this form, however, can be difficult to visualise. The same information displayed graphically provides a powerful decision making tool for investigators, supervisors, and administrators. The visual format shows relationships and patterns that are buried in the data. GIS could also be used to explore the relationship between crime and the environment.