Editing Crime mapping (section)

==Applications==
Crime analysts use crime mapping and analysis to help law enforcement management (e.g. the police chief) to make better decisions, target resources, and formulate strategies, as well as for tactical analysis (e.g. crime forecasting, [[geographic profiling]]).  [[New York City]] does this through the [[CompStat]] approach, though that way of thinking deals more with the short term.  There are other, related approaches with terms including Information-led policing, [[Intelligence-led policing]], [[Problem-oriented policing]], and [[Community policing]].  In some law enforcement agencies, crime analysts work in civilian positions, while in other agencies, crime analysts are sworn officers.

From a research and [[public policy|policy]] perspective, crime mapping is used to understand patterns of [[prison|incarceration]] and [[recidivism]], help target resources and programs, evaluate [[Crime prevention through environmental design|crime prevention]] or crime reduction programs (e.g. Project Safe Neighborhoods, Weed & Seed and as proposed in ''[[Broken windows theory|Fixing Broken Windows]]''<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kelling|first1=George|last2=Coles|first2=Catherine|title=Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order and Reducing Crime in Our Communities|isbn=978-0-684-83738-3|year=1997|publisher=Simon & Schuster|place=New York|orig-year=1996|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/fixingbrokenwind0000kell}}</ref>), and further understanding of causes of crime.