Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
of forces with over a hundred officers were using it by 2000 (Graton and Kno-
bler
1998
; CMP). Although often attributed to Gratton, the idea of spatial targeting
crime in New York came from Jack Marple, originally a transit police officer, who
stuck pins in maps to show the location of crimes in transit stations, enabling him to
spot patterns and dispatch police officers to these locations quickly. The identifica-
tion and then focusing of resources at crime problem-spots led to major reductions
of crime. This idea was then applied to the computerization of all crime and related
data to provide a rapid analysis of crime to guide police reaction and Marple was
moved to the Police Chief's office to implement his ideas (Marple and Mitchell
1999
). This was only part of a new approach which was not to just respond to crime,
but to
anticipate, prevent and quickly fight crime
in the areas where it took place,
and to improve the morale, management and equipment of police. Essentially the
ComStat system evolved into a new crime management process based on the wider
collection of data obtained from the public, patrols, and other sources, using four
principles.
Knowledge
on crime and disorder of all sorts is acquired, processed and
disseminated quickly to local police stations through summaries of crime incidence
in time and especially space through mapping techniques.
Effective policy
respons-
es are made, with changes if initial solutions do not work.
Rapid action
is taken to
prevent escalation of the problem.
Assessment
of the results is made, both weekly
and at other time periods, over the whole police area, to show city-wide not just lo-
cal trends with mandatory attendance at meetings by police officers, to identify and
improve weaknesses and responsibilities. Usually, this approach also involves the
creation of local crime officers in every station to review and publicize local crime
statistics at the beginning of shifts, using computer techniques, to provide almost
real-time information on the latest crime scene that needs attention. The approach
has been credited with drastically reducing crime in many cities, although new em-
phases on problem areas, intelligence-led approaches, and evidence-based policies
are also being used, together with a recognition of the need to break down older hi-
erarchical orders in police forces and giving local stations more power, which often
increases the effectiveness of responses to crime.
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Adoption of New Technical Procedures
Obviously there have also been spectacular breakthroughs in specialist crime-detec-
tion techniques in the last 20 years. Part of this comes from the rapid GIS mapping
and dissemination of crime statistics, which has been very influential in developing
spatial awareness of crime patterns, as shown in a comprehensive topic by Chainey
and Radcliff (
2006
). The increasing provision of crime statistics and maps to the
public in websites, or in local community newsletters, also provides the public with
more factual information on crime areas and trends. In some police forces it has
become standard to monitor social network messages to gain awareness of forth-
coming events that might cause problems or the development of unruly crowds.
The major breakthroughs in scientific procedures have also been important, from
DNA testing to many other specialist forensic techniques. In addition, profiling, to
