Police Officers' Perceptions of Maps and Aerial Photographs

Abstract

With the increasing adoption of geographic information systems (GIS) by police departments and other law enforcement agencies around the world, the issue of how effectively maps and related media communicate information has become germane. In the police department, Baltimore County, Maryland, USA, a small sample survey of police officers was conducted in order to test the utility of alternative visualisations of crime data presented at varying geographic scales. The ultimate objective was to enhance understanding of the effectiveness of maps and aerial photographs commonly used in the context of various investigative, community, managerial, and other applications of GIS tools. Generally, representations containing richer detail were preferred over the conventional abstract linear maps that are usually the default in the context of GIS. Given this situation, faster microprocessors and cheap mass storage provide a rationale for making available maps and other imagery providing police department personnel with intensely rich visualisations of their environments. The underlying assumption is that richer images convey more information and ultimately result in better decision-making. This research was supported by a grant from the US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. Points of view are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the US Department of Justice. The authors contributed equally to the research.