Sharing cross-thematic spatial information : a multi-domain approach for crime socio-technics

Abstract

Designing a Shared Information System (SIS) that is readily integrated by techno-phobic researchers in the crime and social domains is one task seemingly too far from the reach of many. Taking an approach to introduce online crime spatial information systems through the take-up of processes targeted at the physical and environmental sciences, the Malta study depicts the process employed to launch a full-SIS based on the crime-social-land use model (CRISOLA). With backing legislative measures such as the Aarhus and INSPIRE Directives, the SEIS initiative, the Plan4All project and the ERDF project, the base frameworks were identified and projects launched through an open-GIS system. The parallel setting up of a social spatial information system that comprises census data, police crime reports and other data from the diverse enforcement agencies as part of the CrimeMalta initiative enabled the setting up of a crime-related GIS that will be integrated into the Cross Thematic Shared Information System (CSIS). The process employed to initiate the SIS and its eventual crime-mapping integration is depicted through the case for the porting of SEIS into the CSIS.