GIS Crime Mapping to Support Evidence-Based Solutions Provided by Community-Based Organizations

Abstract

This study explored geospatial technologies to support efforts of community organizations and of the Chicago Gun Violence Research Collaboration to reduce gun-related crimes. It entailed (1) identification of spatial trends in gun-related crimes during 2012 to 2017 in each of the following four areas: Austin, East Garfield, North Lawndale, and Englewood; (2) investigation of changes in crime patterns near safe school zones in the areas before and after the establishment of the city's safe passage routes in 2009 to protect the youth from street violence when traveling to school; and (3) development of a web-enabled mobile application to provide researchers and residents with spatial information on local crime incidents and to enable community members to collect and share their information in a GIS environment. The results of this research revealed that, although the number of safe passage routes has increased in these areas over the past several years, hotspot trends for gun-related crimes have intensified in most of the communities in these areas, which include school zones and safe passage routes. Accordingly, it turned out that GIS can serve as an ideal platform supporting collaborative efforts between communities and researchers.