CRIME MAPPING FROM AN INTELLIGENCE PERSPECTIVE James Saywell and Peter Bawden Intelligence Analysts State Intelligence Branch South Australia Police Submitted to the Australian Institute of Criminology Crime Mapping Conference: Adding Value to Crime Prevention and Control Australian Mineral Foundation Adelaide Sept 20&21 2000 1
Abstract The South Australian Police (SAPol) State Intelligence Branch (SIB) uses crime mapping to help analyse volume crime, violent crime, illicit drugs and organised crime. Crime mapping assists in identifying crime trends, clusters, series and patterns, aiding operational police in areas such as targeting hot spots, geographical profiling and predictive assessments. This paper will illustrate how SIB perform these functions using crime mapping, from how the data is obtained to how the finished product is utilised by the organisation as a tool for allocating resources and crime reduction strategies. We will examine further crime mapping techniques that could be used by SAPol to achieve crime reduction and control. Introduction Intelligence analysts located at SIB have been utilising crime mapping tailored to intelligence and operational policing in South Australia for the past 14 months. This analytical tool has assisted officers in a variety of operational, intelligence, investigation, and strategic and judicial areas. MapInfo Professional (run time version 5.0) software is the package SIB uses to produce maps. This application has been tailored into the SAPol Crime Mapping System and contains layers for each of the organisation s operational Local Service Areas (LSAs). There are six metropolitan LSAs (Elizabeth, Port Adelaide, Holden Hill, Adelaide, Sturt and South Coast) and eight country LSAs (Far North, North East, Riverland, Mid West, West Coast, Barossa Yorke, Hills Murray and South East). Analysts within SAPol use crime mapping as an analytical tool within the intelligence field mainly to identify: Crime Patterns: the nature and distribution of crime within an area, across LSA boundaries and throughout the entire State. Crime Trends: significant changes, new clusters and emerging trends in a specific area s crime pattern. Crime Clusters: groups of crimes linked through similar characteristics, such as Modus Operandi, time, day and targets. Crime Series: crimes with common offenders. Since being recruited by SAPol, analysts involved in these areas have developed skills in using crime mapping to produce maps that are utilised by varying areas of SAPol. Maps are regularly produced by analysts involved in volume crime (consisting of arson, criminal trespass and motor vehicle offences), violent crime (consisting of robberies, serious assaults, sexual assaults and murder offences) and organised crime (which incorporates illicit drugs). These products have been used: As intelligence products. As evidence in court. By surveillance, investigators and patrols as an information source on their targets and target areas. For specific operations. To assist in developing crime reduction strategies. Briefings to management and media. Evaluations (Performance Outcome Reviews) of SAPol sections and LSAs. To assist in strategic planning. 2
Method The following paragraphs outline the procedures followed by SIB analysts to produce maps. Information Gathering Data used for crime mapping by SIB analysts is generally obtained from two sources: The main source of data for mapping is contained in spreadsheets compiled and maintained by the analysts. This data (predominantly incident and offender details) is extracted from a variety of sources including the Police Information Management System (PIMS), which is located on the SAPol mainframe. Information recorded consists of specific details such as location, date and time of the offence and the location and preferred target areas of known offenders. This information enables maps to be constructed for spatial analysis. The other primary source of data used for mapping by SIB is the SAPol Intranet, which houses a CorVu data analysis facility. CorVu is a program run under Microsoft Internet Explorer, which allows users to convert raw data into useful information and then display this information in a spreadsheet or graphical format. CorVu contains hourly, daily, weekly and monthly data extracts from PIMS and Communication Centre (COMCEN) taskings, which can be filtered to provide specific information (ie Motor vehicle arson between August and September 2000). It also contains a Vehicles of Interest (VOI) database that provides specific information on vehicle, number plate and engine theft in South Australia, where similar filters can be conducted. As the data/information is required in an Excel spreadsheet format for mapping, CorVu allows you to export the filtered data to Excel. Map Production The procedure for producing a crime map basically involves the following five steps: 1. Identify what data you want to plot/analyse and save it in a spreadsheet (Excel 97&5.0). 2. Open MapInfo and all the relevant layers for the map required, such as UBD layers. 3. Import the table (spreadsheet) into MapInfo. 4. Geocode the table. 5. Create/modify/produce the map ready for analysis. Results Analysts working on the Strategic Intelligence Requirements (SIR) designated by SAPol produce the maps that provide timely and historical information that can be analysed and then disseminated to the appropriate areas in the form of accurate intelligence. Information on volume and violent crimes is mapped to provide an analytical assessment of topics such as problem areas, identifying movements and target areas of serial offenders and the location of stolen and recovered vehicles. These maps can also assist in providing reports and completing assessments on specific operations within the department. Information on the location of apprehensions and seizures of illicit drugs is analysed and analysts within SIB are currently working on mapping drug overdoses with the South Australian Ambulance Service. Maps regarding organised crime activity are generally used to provide operational police and surveillance with a better idea of what is confronting them on specific jobs or raids. Discussion Analysis Producing crime maps facilitates both temporal and spatial analysis, which are used as analytical products within SIB. Temporal analysis looks at the time and day on which offences occur. Spatial analysis, which is the most common tool used by SIB, involves identifying where offences occur. 3
Hot Spots Hot spots are small areas that have significant levels of crime relative to surrounding areas. Mapping volume crime offences such as serious criminal trespass and motor vehicle offences identifies hot spots and gives patrols a visual aid to assist with effective deployment. The following paragraphs describe other mapping techniques that have been used by SIB. Examples of several of these mapping techniques will be displayed at the Crime Mapping Conference. Geographic Profiling Geographical profiling is concerned with the geographic behaviour of the serial offender with a view to predicting his/her most probable home location. Research has shown that offenders often commit crime within a certain radius of their home. SIB has produced maps of volume offences to try and identify possible suspects. For example, Elizabeth LSA has the highest number of arson incidents so a map was produced showing where the arson offences had occurred in Elizabeth over several months. This showed that numerous fires (parks/grass lands, rubbish bins, papers and fences) occurred in spherical patterns. This information suggested the areas in which juvenile offenders were likely to reside and provided patrols with areas to keep a look out for. Similar maps have been produced with regard to criminal trespass and motor vehicle offences. When the location of numerous criminal trespass offences were overlain with the location of known recidivist offenders in a suburb in the Sturt LSA it was apparent that these offenders were centrally located to the offences. Motor vehicle offences were mapped within Port Adelaide LSA over a 6 month period and then overlayed on this map were location of known and suspected offenders. This allowed SAPol to identify which offenders were likely to be committing these types of offences. Linking Locations Mapping is particularly useful aid when analysing motor vehicle theft data. The linking locations facility in MapInfo enables us to show a line between the where vehicles are stolen and recovered. This enables us to identify any trends and patterns in the links between suburbs where vehicles are stolen and recovered. This is particularly pertinent to identify cross boundary activity where vehicles are being stolen in one LSA and recovered in another LSA. Future Strategies The use of maps within SAPol is likely to increase as other areas within the organisation such as investigation areas begin to utilise maps more regularly to illustrate where a chain of events or series of offences has occurred. To this end, SAPol would like to pursue the introduction of expert skills and support software/technology that would enable Crime Mapping to be better utilised as a tool. Geolock Geolock is a MapInfo product that allows the process of geocoding (often the most time consuming stage of mapping) to become more streamlined and therefore, time effective. This software could provide a filter to the SAPol mainframe system whereby it would only allow correct addresses to be entered, therefore reducing the time currently taken geocoding data. Map XTreme Map extreme is a MapInfo product that enables maps to be posted onto the Intranet so that people throughout the organisation can use them. This enables users that are not familiar with MapInfo to undertake their own analysis of the data that the map has displayed. 4
More informative maps Maps are used as an analytical tool to help SAPol officers clearly understand things such as what is happening, where it is happening and who may be doing it. Therefore, all that is often needed is the basic maps that are produced utilising SAPol s existing Crime Mapping application. However, with certain situations such as briefings, evaluation processes, court evidence and strategic products, more informative maps could be useful. This would entail producing maps that contain other information such as link charts, analyst/case notebooks, photographs, graphs and profiles. SAPol is currently looking at ways to better present information for analysis and we hope to begin producing high quality integrated intelligence analysis products in the near future. Dedicated Mapping Unit SIB is considering establishing a dedicated mapping unit to keep SAPol up with the current strategies and practices of mapping techniques and software. This group will allow SAPol to progress in the area of intelligence lead policing and provide staff with a resource that produces high quality products and sound advice/training. Acknowledgments The authors of this paper would like to thank other SAPol officers for their collegial support, advice and valuable suggestions on the subject of crime mapping. 5