Spatial analysis of Ohio police station locations using geographical information systems

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationship between socio-economic factors and crime, and to understand the underlying criteria of new police station locations decisions. Factor analysis, multiple criteria decision analysis and genetic algorithm methods have been used to define the relationship, to decide the number of necessary police stations in each county, and to locate these police stations respectively. This model is applied to state of Ohio. The results showed that nine counties out of eighty can be considered as high crime areas in state of Ohio and at least forty three new police stations should be established in these nine counties.