Prospective crime mapping in operational context Final report

Figure A1.3: Standalone application with integrated GISWhilst this was the optimal solution for the current project, option 1 discussed above is the desiredapproach. However, whatever option is used in future projects, a number of recommendations withrespect to police IT systems and the recording of data that may be realised in the short and longerterm are presented below.Recommendations that may be realised in the short term• Crime data should be recorded in an accurate and timely manner. Georgaphical grid coordinatesshould be accurate to a resolution of one metre and available for analysis within 24hours or less.• All force IT systems should have standard applications that enable data to be exported in astandardised format, such as the comma separated (.csv) format which is compatible withmost commercial software, and programming languages.• Physical access to data should be possible, either using a CD burner or (for faster datatransfer) USB HDD. Security measures would, of course, be required to restrict access to thedata. Different approaches to encrypting data should be explored.77