A geographic approach to understanding crime in Indiana

Crime mapping is a nearly 200 year old discipline used by geographers, criminologists, and analysts to study criminal patterns and trends. As crime data has become more readily available to the public through online services such as the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, the potential for crime mapping has grown extensively. Furthermore, the development of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has allowed for crime mapping to be done digitally, with a multitude of mapping and analysis methods being employed . The purpose of this thesis is to examine how crime mapping has evolved and provide an example of its practice by analyzing crime in Indiana. Additionally, through visual methods such as tables, charts, and maps, the reader should ultimately gain a comprehensive understanding of crime in Indiana and how the state’s police agencies make use of data and GIS.Honors CollegeThesis (B.?