Geographic Information System (GIS)
Definition
Software that stores, analyses, and visualises data tied to geographic coordinates. In crime analysis, GIS platforms such as ArcGIS or the open-source QGIS are used to map incident locations, draw hotspot boundaries, overlay demographic and land-use data, and track spatial changes over time.
- Common platforms
- ArcGIS, QGIS
- Data type
- Coordinate-tied geographic data
- Crime-analysis uses
- Incident mapping, hotspot mapping, overlay analysis
- QGIS license
- Open-source
Common questions
What is the practical difference between ArcGIS and QGIS for crime analysis?+
ArcGIS is a commercial platform with extensive analyst tools and vendor support, while QGIS is a free open-source alternative offering comparable core mapping and spatial analysis, often used by agencies with limited budgets.
How does GIS hotspot mapping actually work?+
The software applies spatial statistical methods, such as kernel density estimation, to incident location data to find areas with a concentration of crime higher than the surrounding area, displayed as a hotspot map.
What other data gets overlaid on crime maps in GIS analysis?+
Analysts commonly overlay demographic data, land-use zoning, lighting or camera coverage, and points of interest such as bars or transit stops to explore spatial relationships with crime patterns.
Related terms
- CompStat
- A police management and accountability system first implemented by the New York City Police Department in 1994. CompStat uses regularly updated crime...
- Crime Hotspot
- A small geographic area where crime incidents cluster at a rate significantly higher than surrounding areas over a defined time period. Hotspot...
- Dark Figure of Crime
- The gap between the actual volume of crime and the amount recorded in official statistics. Crimes go unrecorded when victims do not...
- Recording Rate
- The proportion of crimes known to police that are formally entered into official statistics. Recording rates below 100% produce a secondary dark...
- Victimisation Survey
- A survey that asks a random population sample about crimes experienced in a reference period, regardless of whether those incidents were reported...