What is the process of using GIS to analyze crime called?

The process of using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze crime is referred to as crime mapping. This method involves visualizing crime data geographically to identify patterns, trends, and hotspots of criminal activity. By mapping incidents of crime onto a map, analysts can gain insights into where and when crimes occur, allowing law enforcement agencies and policymakers to make more informed decisions regarding resource allocation and crime prevention strategies.

Crime mapping integrates various layers of information such as demographics, land use, and environmental factors, which can significantly enhance the understanding of the spatial relationship between crime and other variables. By utilizing GIS technology, analysts are able to produce visual representations that can be easily interpreted by law enforcement personnel and the community, therefore aiding in the development of effective strategies to combat crime.

While other terms like crime prevention analysis, spatial analysis, and data mining relate to broader analytical processes or methodologies, they do not specifically refer to the application of GIS in the context of crime. Crime prevention analysis typically focuses on strategies to reduce crime based on various types of analysis, spatial analysis encompasses the broader field of studying the interactions between geographic space and data points, and data mining refers to the computational process of discovering patterns in large datasets without a specific focus on geography. Thus, crime mapping specifically highlights the