NCJ Number
55821
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 46 Issue: 4 Dated: (APRIL 1979) Pages: 50-52
Date Published
1979
Length
3 pages
Annotation
THE INDIANAPOLIS, IND., POLICE DEPARTMENT'S USE OF GRID MAPS TO CONCENTRATE PATROL RESOURCES IN AREAS OF HEAVY CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
AFTER EXAMINING THE GRID SYSTEMS USED BY POLICE IN TUCSON, ARIZ., ST. PAUL, MINN., AND ST. LOUIS, MO., THE INDIANAPOLIS POLICE DECIDED ON A SYSTEM BASED ON STREET NUMBERING (AS OPPOSED TO NATURAL BOUNDARIES). ON THE INDIANAPOLIS GRID, EACH SQUARE REPRESENTS 25 CITY BLOCKS. REPORTS OF CRIMES THAT POLICE CONSIDER CONTROLLABLE BY PATROL (ROBBERY, BURGLARY, VEHICLE THEFT, OBSERVABLE LARCENY) ARE RECORDED PERIODICALLY ON THE GRID. SEPARATE GRIDS ARE PREPARED FOR EACH OFFENSE. EVERY 2 WEEKS, A COMPOSITE GRID SHOWING ALL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IS PREPARED. PAPER MAPS ARE REPRODUCED FROM THE GRIDS FOR USE BY COMMANDERS AND SUPERVISORS IN PLANNING PATROL. CONTROLLABLE OFFENSE SHEETS--WEEKLY SUMMARIES OF OFFENSE ACTIVITY--ARE ALSO PRODUCED. SPECIAL BULLETINS ARE ISSUED WHEN A CRIME PATTERN IS OBSERVED. THE GRID HAS PROVED USEFUL IN THE DEPARTMENT'S FIXED BEAT SYSTEM AS WELL AS IN ITS SEVERAL EXPERIMENTS WITH INNOVATIVE PATROL APPROACHES. THE GRID SYSTEM IS ALSO USED TO PLAN SEARCHES FOR LOST CHILDREN AND FUGITIVES, TO MARK THE LOCATION OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, AND TO KEEP TRACK OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS AND CAR THIEVES. ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE GRID SYSTEM ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)