NCJ Number
53582
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 45 Issue: 9 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1978) Pages: 30-32
Date Published
1978
Length
3 pages
Annotation
THE FEASIBILITY OF SYNAGRAPHIC COMPUTER MAPPING (SYMAP) AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL MEANS OF GATHERING, ANALYZING, AND DISPLAYING INFORMATION ON CRIME AND ACCIDENT PATTERNS IS EXPLORED.
Abstract
WHILE USEFUL IN PROVIDING A GENERAL PICTURE OF ACTIVITY, SEVERAL LIMITATIONS OF PIN MAPS HAVE RESTRICTED THEIR USE IN CRIME AND ACCIDENT ANALYSIS. THE INABILITY OF THESE MAPS TO SUGGEST CORRELATIONS HAS CLEARLY SERVED TO LIMIT THEIR USE IN PLANNING PREVENTION PROGRAMS. EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE BY MANY POLICE DEPARTMENT'S TO REMEDY THESE SOPHISTICATED INDEXING SYSTEMS. SUCH MODIFICATIONS HAVE NOT MET WITH ANY GREAT SUCCESS. THE SYMAP PROGRAM IS A COMPUTERIZED WAY OF PRODUCING MAPS THAT GRAPHICALLY DEPICTS SPATIALLY DISPOSED QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE INFORMATION. INITIATED IN YORK COUNTY, PA., THE COMPUTER MAPPING PROJECT IS INTENDED TO SUIT A BROAD RANGE OF APPLICATIONS AND HAS NUMEROUS OPTIONS TO MEET WIDELY VARYING REQUIREMENTS. THE TERM SYNAGRAPHIC IS USED TO DESIGNATE THE GENERAL TYPE OF COMPUTER MAPPING IN THE PROGRAM. ADVANTAGES OF SYMAP ARE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTOUR MAPS THAT CAN BE USED SEPARATELY OR AS TRANSPARENT OVERLAYS WITH HIGHWAY MAPS AND THE USE OF DIFFERENT VARIABLES FOR MAPPING AS THE NEED ARISES. THE MOST USEFUL MAPS DERIVED IN THE COURSE OF THE SYMAP PROGRAM'S APPLICATION IN YORK COUNTY APPEAR TO BE THE FOLLOWING: ALL CALLS FOR SERVICES DURING THE YEAR, SEASONAL VARIATIONS OF ACCIDENTS AND CRIME, ACCIDENT OCCURRENCES BY DAY OF WEEK AND TIME OF DAY, AND ACCIDENTS INVOLVING NONRESIDENT OPERATORS. RESEARCH IS CONTINUING TO REFINE THE SYMAP PROGRAM. ILLUSTRATIONS OF MAPS GENERATED BY THE PROGRAM ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)