Geospatial Science and Technology: Focus Areas
Crime, Violence, and Justice
We use geospatial tools and technologies in support of a variety of criminological studies. For example, we integrated police department data with detailed parcel-level boundaries of public housing developments to calculate crime rates within and around public housing and compare them with city-wide crime rates. In another study, we tracked gun-related crimes using specialized geospatial data layers to help district attorneys evaluate programs for reducing the use of firearms in crime in various jurisdictions. In both cases, high-quality maps helped public safety officials make informed decisions about resource allocation and strategy.
We also apply GIS in support of program evaluation research. GIS technologies are used to integrate demographic, social capital, infrastructure, crime, economic, and environmental data to compare within-site and across-site success in meeting the goals of federally-funded programs such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ‘s Home Ownership Zone program and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Weed and Seed program.
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