Message From
the Assistant
Attorney General

Welcome to the redesigned Justice Resource Update (JRU). We have a new format, but we are still your resource for the latest information about the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and other components of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Executive Branch.

Crime mapping is the theme of this issue. In addition to information about the March 2007 National Institute of Justice Ninth Crime Mapping Research Conference, you will learn how the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and OJP?s components are making crime mapping technology available at the state and local levels.

Because JRU is published quarterly, there is always something that has recently taken place or an event on the horizon that we would like to highlight. Our effort to bring attention to National Stalking Awareness Month is one example. Although January was the designated month, it is never too late to learn about this crime that affects more than 1 million women and nearly 375,000 men each year. Statistics and other information about stalking are available on OJP?s Web site.

We want JRU to be informative and useful. If you would like more information about a topic, you also can search AskOJP.

Regina B. Schofield
Assistant Attorney General
Office of Justice Programs

OJP and COPS Office Support Crime Mapping Initiatives

he past 10 years have seen ever-growing numbers of law enforcement agencies turning to geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze crime data. Commonly referred to as ?crime mapping,? this interest in the spatial analysis and visual display of crime and disorder has been fueled by a number of factors, including the growth of electronic recordkeeping, the availability of inexpensive GIS and streetmap software, advances in criminological theory for model specification, and the increasing importance placed on performance measures.