EMU students, staff create online crime mapping tool

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 | Source: Concentrate

Students and staff are playing a significant role in making Eastern Michigan University and Ypsilanti a safer place, thanks to a new online crime map.

The university's Institute for Geospatial Research and Department of Public Safety teamed up to create the online map that catalogs crimes committed in the university area. The idea is to help combat crime and any perception that certain areas of the campus or city aren't safe through awareness of the real statistics.

Michael Dueweke, manager of the Institute for Geospatial Research, let masters students and staff at the university create the program and website earlier this year.

"It makes a lot of sense to give the students real-world experience in their area of study," Dueweke says.

He was inspired by crime maps made in print publications, but wanted to make something that responded in real time. Crimes appear almost instantaneously after they are logged into the system. They stay in the system for 60 days. Crimes that are tracked include arson, aggravated assault, burglary, criminal sexual conduct, motor vehicle theft, murder, robbery and larceny from a vehicle.

Source: Michael Dueweke, manager of the Institute for Geospatial Research
Writer: Jon Zemke