Definition of crime mapping. Crime mapping is an important tool that is used by analysts to find where crimes occur the most and to analyze that area for possible suspects. The analysts wait for a crime to take place, and then mark a precise point on a map for every incidence that occurs. After they get enough points to tell where the area is where these crimes have taken place, the analysts can identify main crime hotspots, trends, and patterns.
Solving crimes with crime mapping. The best way that crime mapping can be used to help solve crime is by having analysts relay the information that they find from the data to officers around that area. This would then allow police more knowledge on where they could provide more backup and certain types of areas that they should pay more attention to. For example, there were many incidents that occurred in a certain county in Illinois. Authorities used crime mapping to see if there were any similarities in the incidences, and found that all of the crimes occurred near major highways in the area. After discovering this lead, police guessed that a group that traveled and specialized in burglaries was committing the crimes. There were also crimes that took place around cemeteries. More patrols watched over these types of places, and eventually the criminals were arrested. The group was called the Irish Travelers and after their arrests, a lot less crimes took place in the before crime-ridden area.
Invasion of privacy involved with crime mapping. Crime mapping could be considered an invasion of privacy, but also could be looked at completely different. In the eyes of the victim, they may be embarrassed about what happened and do not want anyone extra to know what went on. For authorities, it may be the main piece of information tat they need to acquire to be able to catch the criminal. People still deserve their privacy, though, and I think that it should have to be agreed on by the victim to use the
References: Wikipedia. Crime mapping. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_mapping Real Resources. What is Crime Mapping and How Can it Solve Cases. Retrieved from http://www.getarealdegree.com/2012/06/what-is-crime-mapping-and-how-can-it-solve-cases/