Mapping Crime Locations on the Minnesota State University-Mankato Campus

Presenter Information

Ashley M. Keul, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Chris P. Somage, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Location

CSU 253/4/5

Start Date

5-4-2010 1:00 PM

End Date

5-4-2010 3:00 PM

Student's Major

Geography

Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mentor's Name

Forrest Wilkerson

Mentor's Department

Geography

Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Description

The Emergency Blue Light Phones are security boxes that allow a caller to directly contact Emergency Services. The goal of this project was to develop a better understanding of the distribution of crime on campus in relation to the Emergency Blue Light Phones. This project analyzed the current location and spatial coverage of Emergency Blue Light Phones on the MSU-Mankato campus to assess the adequacy of current coverage to serve the campus community. Standardized and accepted methods used in Geography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) crime mapping were incorporated using data obtained from campus security, GPS, and a Digital Elevation Model. A viewshed analysis was performed to determine the visibility of Emergency Blue Light Phones and a database of security incidents was created and inserted into GIS mapping software. The ultimate goal is to improve campus safety and the visibility and awareness of Emergency Blue Light Phones on campus.