You are the crime analyst in a small to medium city. Your department is still using the pushpin type system of crime mapping. This is a very rudimentary style of mapping. In fact, one may have more than one crime in the same block on one day. The assignment will consist of two parts: a mapping assignment and a paper assignment. The assignments will be submitted as separate documents.

1. Mapping Assignment Portion

Download Weekend Crime Reports. You are to map each crime reported over the weekend in 2 separate Excel tabs. One map is to plot the time reported, and the other will map the specific crime.

Complete your 2 maps using the Plotting Map Template given below..

Download Plotting Map Template.
Mapping Guidelines

The crime plotting example shows the crimes.
When it asks for a cluster, you would look for a certain crime and decide if there is a cluster and in what section of the town it would be located.
When it pertains to suggestions to the chief for shifts, you do this by time.
The time plotting example shows the same crimes by shift.
EXAMPLE

Weekend Crime Reports
Time Reported

Crime Committed

Location

Friday, 2nd Shift

Homicide

S. 1st Ave. & 2nd St.

Friday, 2nd Shift

Carjacking

S. 1st Ave. and 5th St.

Friday, 3rd Shift

Domestic

N. 10th Ave. & 18th St.

Friday, 3rd Shift

Carjacking

N. 7th Ave. & 16th St.

Download Time Plot and Crime Plot Examples.
Further Information on Crime Maps
Standard Shift Hours

1st Shift

7 AM to 3 PM

2nd Shift

3 PM to 11 PM

3rd Shift

11 PM to 7 AM

There are North, South, East, and West designations on the map.
Central Avenue splits the town into a north and south area. Although the West section of Central Avenue holds industrial buildings, it then travels east and has mostly businesses (shops, bars, and so on).
The northeast section of town is the downtown harbor area in which people of higher means are living.
The southeast section of town contains people of less than normal monetary means.
The northwest section of town is a median-income area but has gangs.
The southwest section of town has more of a residential feel.
The west section at Central Avenue holds industrial buildings.
Please add your file to the assignment submission section of the classroom.

Paper Assignment Portion
Your chief is asking for an analysis of the crime over the weekend. He has been receiving complaints from citizens that their area is not being covered to combat crime. He would like answers to the specific questions listed below. In a 2-page paper, answer the following questions:

Is there an excess of suspicious person reports in one area? If so, why do you think that may be happening?
Is there a lack of suspicious person reports in one area? If so, why do you think that may be happening?
Is there a certain time for burglaries? If so, why do you think that may be happening? Is there a cluster for the following:
Homicides
Burglaries
Robberies
Carjacking reports
Domestic reports
Home invasions
Driving under the influence
Are domestics related to one area? Why or why not?
The chief needs to allocate his officers to certain areas. At what day and time would he increase patrol car activity and in what area?
Give reasons to your chief as to why it would be advantageous to the department to have a computer-generated mapping system.