Web GIS for Mapping Community Crime Rates: Approaches and Challenges

Abstract

This chapter describes a prototype Web geographic information system (GIS) and spatial model application for mapping person crime rates in Brisbane, Australia. Our application, which integrates GIS functionality, a clustering model, client/server technology and the Internet, can generate useful documents such as maps and tables to examine and present crime patterns in space and time. Our chapter also demonstrates the usefulness and appeal of the Web GIS application as an information dissemination and spatial data analysis tool for promoting public awareness of social conditions. This chapter argues that Web-based data access is a better approach to delivering large volumes of crime data and geographical information to the public. We expect that police, community workers and citizens could utilize the application and associated maps to facilitate and enhance crime prevention activities. We note, however, that further development of Web-based GIS applications need to answer a number of pertinent questions regarding system maintenance, data integrity and neighborhood crime prevention.