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The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) is developing a unique national crime database that will provide ? at a glance ? a picture of South Africa's major crime areas. The crime database, which is being developed by the HSRC's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Unit, is the first of its kind in the world and will present crime data at police station and magisterial district level in the form of maps and tables. The data, provided by the SAPS, will inter alia indicate the number of crimes committed in a specific area over a given period, as well as the crime rate and other crime indices for that area. According to Mr Craig Schwabe, head of the HSRC's GIS Unit, the national crime database will contribute significantly to dealing more effectively with the problem of crime in the country, as it could assist the SAPS in prioritising crime areas and the allocation of resources. A preliminary copy of an atlas on crime at police area level was presented to Deputy National Police Commissioner Zola Lavisa in Pretoria last week. The presentation was a token of the agreement signed by the HSRC and the SAPS in 1996 to exchange information, facilities and expertise to assist the SAPS' efforts at combatting crime and developing more appropriate crime prevention strategies. Dr Chris de Kock, Head of Crime Research at the SAPS Crime Information Management Centre (CIMC), described the GIS database as one of the most powerful strategic tools available in the fight against crime. He said the database would enable the SAPS to test popular theories about the relationship between crime and other socio-economic factors, such as unemployment, informal settlements or illegal immigration.
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