Citation

Haining R. Twenty-First Century Society 2009; 4(2): 161-174.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/17450140903000274

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The last few years has seen a steady growth in methodologies for displaying and analysing geographically referenced (spatial) data. Geographic Information Systems (GISs) and desktop mapping packages have provided the enabling technologies that have made some of these developments practical to implement within busy agencies. Spatial analysis techniques together with mapping software already support local policing in the UK in a number of different ways. The main purpose of this paper, however, is to consider prospects for the future. The discussion is organised around the three main areas of spatial analysis: cartographic visualisation, mathematical modelling and spatial data analysis (spatial statistics). These methodologies have to be customised to police requirements. Their use needs to become embedded within the police's operational procedures and we consider methodologies for combining expert knowledge with the evidence found in police databases.