NCJ Number
190425
Date Published
November 2000
Length
121 pages
Annotation
In furtherance of the Police Foundation's mandate to advance mapping applications and information systems for community policing and problem solving, this report provides a review of a wide range of mapping software and geographic information systems (GIS), focusing on their utility and ease of use by members of police departments.
Abstract
Part One provides a detailed review of three GIS software packages: ArcView, MapInfo, and GeoMedia. These three detailed reviews provide assessments according to a number of concerns that members of police departments express when selecting appropriate mapping technologies: general characteristics; data types, acquisition, and manipulation; map creation utility; customization possibilities; and highlights of recent upgrades to the products. In addition to the detailed review of each of the three products, Part One contains a software fact sheet that summarizes required resources, supported data, and strengths and weaknesses of the three software products. Part Two provides a general overview of 89 computer software products, including information on their capabilities, platforms, and contact information. Many of the products summarized were developed as extensions to one of the three main mapping software packages reviewed in Part One; others are stand-alone products that function separately from and perform functions independent of the GIS products in Part One. Products reviewed in Part Two encompass a wide range of categories or subject areas and perform a variety of functions, including data acquisition and data management, geocoding, crime mapping and analysis, Internet mapping, redistricting, emergency management, and others, including products from each of the following specialized areas: geospatial imaging, geographic profiling, cartography, routing software, vehicle tracking, drawing/design, and GIS application development. The review contains information related to manufacturer, relevant area of application, contact information, the GIS and operating platforms necessary for the product, and a brief product description. Part Three provides information on several customized mapping applications that have been developed by police agencies to further their goals. 3 references and appended Crime Mapping Software Survey for Customized Mapping Applications