Citizen’s Involvement in the Shaping of Local Security by the Use of a Digital Crime Mapping Tool Based on GIS

Abstract

More and more advanced crime mapping methods have been used for several dozen years for imaging, analyzing, and, consequently, preventing, and combating crime. Initially, they served only specialized task units in charge of the fight against crime. Subsequently, they became sources of public information on the level of security in particular locations. The crucial requirement for the development of these methods in the third decade of the 21st century is related to the interaction with citizens, who turn from recipients of data into their co-creators by reporting threats occurring in their neighborhood. This article analyzes the National Map of Security Threats (Krajowa Mapa Zagrożeń Bezpieczeństwa, KMZB) implemented in Poland as a GIS-based tool to involve citizens in creating local security and a source of knowledge about the perception of personal safety by KMZB users.

Keywords

• security
• threats
• citizens
• crime mapping
• GIS
• Poland