Benefits for Various Stakeholders of Crime Maps - Essay Example

Crime Mapping Crime Mapping Introduction A major portion of analysis of crime hasbeen crime mapping and it has existed for several years. The history of crime mapping dates back to the period of 1900s when pin maps were being used by analysts, but these maps were not quite effective as whenever the maps were updated, previous data was erased1. During the period of 1990s when internet and computers became a part and parcel of every organization, desktop based crime maps came into existence. When crime maps became online, the number of people who could access these maps even increased and thus the importance of crime mapping was even identified. The purpose of the historical and current crime maps is the same; the purpose is to provide information regarding crimes and areas where crimes occur. These maps have various stakeholders associated with them and these stakeholders have benefited differently from these maps. Body Crime Maps For and Against Police Crime maps have been essential for the function of policing since these maps came into existence. These maps help police managers in conducting their functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling in a better manner. It has helped police managers in making decisions regarding police patrol in a better manner. For example: police managers can use these maps to locate areas where crime occurrence rate is quite high and police managers can use this information to divert more and more resources towards those areas. 1. Kim Michelle Lersch, Space, time, and crime. Durham, N.C.: Carolina Academic Press, 2004, p.209 Crime mapping can be very beneficial for the investigators in analysing trends and patterns that criminals create while committing crimes. These maps can provide special details to criminal investigators regarding same kind of crimes occurring. These maps even contain data regarding criminals and where these criminals are situated which can assist police in finding these criminals in the most efficient manner. Crime maps even increases the accountability of police managers and police stations located in a particular area2. If crime rates are quite high in a particular area, such patterns show up on the map and inquiries regarding what the police of the particular area can be made by the press and the public. Crime Maps For and Against Politicians The work of the police officials is to control crime and the work of the politicians is to make sure that the police of a particular region are operating in an effective manner. Politician’s image is at stake if the areas they represent are under unhealthy circumstances. If politicians need votes from their areas, they need to ensure that all the issues of the people living in those areas are solved. Crime maps can act as a tool of motivation for politicians to solve the issue of increased crime rates in their areas. Crime maps were launched in UK during the session of 2008, prior to this; public had little idea about the crimes that were taking place in their neighbourhoods. Since crime maps came to surface, public started realizing how effective their politicians are in controlling criminal incidences in their areas3. Due to this politicians representing their areas are motivated to persuade police to work hard and control criminal activities in their areas. 2. Hélène Mulholland, "Online crime maps crash under weight of 18 million hits an hour." theguardian. N.p., 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. . 3. Paul Vallely: Too much information, thank you." The INDEPENDENT. N.p., 6 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2013.. Due to crime statistics being made public, politicians can no longer lie about criminal incidences in order to save their image and portray a misleading image of their activities. Crime Maps For and Against Public On 1st February 2011, BBC News reported that UK has started a new crime mapping system recognized as street-level mapping system4. They reported that Theresa May, the Home Secretary have stated that these maps will help the public of UK in obtaining information regarding criminal activities that are taking place in their streets and neighbourhoods and these maps will be updated on monthly basis. This means that these maps have several advantages for the public; the public can use these maps to locate areas that are high in crime and can make decisions regarding housing. For example: A family has decided to move from one area to another, before moving to the other area, they can compare the crime rate of that area with the area they are currently living in. This will help them ensure that they shift in neighbourhoods that are safer for children and their personal assets. These maps can even negatively impact the housing prices of houses located in areas where crime rates are high. The insurance companies can even manipulate this information in order to charge higher premium prices as insurance premium of areas with high crime rates is quite high. Crime Maps For and Against Private Organizations Private organizations even want to ensure that they are located in areas where crime rates are quite low. This is because these organizations want to save themselves from being victims of criminal activities such as theft. 4. Street-level crime maps launched online." BBC. N.p., 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. . They even want to make sure that the areas they are locating in are quite safe so the customers do not feel insecure while thinking of visiting these organizations. These maps will assist organization in analysing one of the four Ps of marketing which is place as place of the business holds great importance for the business. Secondly, businesses such as insurance companies can use these maps to charge higher premium prices from those customers that are located in areas with high criminal activity. These maps can even be used by banks before lending money for housing purposes. Banks may have to charge lower interest prices from individuals who are planning to locate in neighbourhoods with high criminal activity. Conclusion Crime mapping has been a significant part of crime analysis for several years, these maps used to be in pin form when they came into existence, now these maps are even available online and this has increased the accessibility of these maps. Increase in accessibility has profound benefits for various stakeholders of crime maps, these stakeholders includes: the common public, private organizations, politicians and police department and these stakeholders have been both positively and negatively impacted by crime maps. References Lersch, Kim Michelle. Space, time, and crime. Durham, N.C.: Carolina Academic Press, 2004. Print. Mulholland, Hélène. "Online crime maps crash under weight of 18 million hits an hour." theguardian. N.p., 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. . Paul Vallely: Too much information, thank you." The INDEPENDENT. N.p., 6 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. . Street-level crime maps launched online." BBC. N.p., 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. . Read More