This is a 10 page paper giving an overview of the research and conclusions made in the article “Damned if You Don’t, Damned if You Do” by Jerry H. Ratcliffe (2002). The main context for research in this paper is the growing trend in North America about the publication of maps denoting crime with the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) which are then published on the Internet. The concern for crime is known as an international one, however, the insurgence of crime mapping on the Internet is particularly prominent in North America. Crime maps available on the Internet are becoming increasingly detailed in regards to regions and areas and also increasingly interactive. Crime mapping is particularly favored by law enforcement agencies in the United States as a more cost efficient alternative to the constant dissemination of information previously provided to the public and government agencies. However, inconsistencies in data reporting and technologies could lead to expensive litigation against those agencies posting crime maps.
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Its Implications in the Real World. Policing and Society 12 (3), 211-225. The main context for research in this paper is the growing
trend in North America about the publication of maps denoting crime with the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) which are then published on the Internet. The concern for crime
is known as an international one, however, the insurgence of crime mapping on the Internet is particularly prominent in North America. Crime maps available on the Internet are becoming increasingly
detailed in regards to regions and areas and also increasingly interactive. Crime mapping is particularly favored by law enforcement agencies in the United States as a more cost efficient alternative
to the constant dissemination of information previously provided to the public and government agencies. However, inconsistencies in data reporting and technologies could lead to expensive litigation against those agencies posting
crime maps. Problem Identified by Researchers One of the main problems concerning Ratcliffe (2002) in his area of research is the number of technical and ethical issues which still need
to be resolved including the respect for privacy for crime victims. While various techniques have been used by crime mappers to aggregate data in order to protect the victims of
crimes, this aggregate data may inadvertently taints certain areas which would then be determined at "greater risk" than other areas. Greater risk areas have a direct impact on house prices,
house insurance and business abandonment which leads for an ultimate conflict in whether or not crime mapping is providing a necessary service or dis-service to an area. The conflict between
providing the public service but also leaving the possibility of the victims identification open in some cases may also lead to litigation against the cartographer or crime mapper. In Ratcliffes
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