What does "crime mapping" refer to?

Crime mapping refers to the analysis and visualization of crime locations, which is a crucial tool used by law enforcement agencies and criminologists to understand patterns, trends, and hotspots of criminal activity. By mapping out crime data, investigators can identify where crimes are most likely to occur and allocate resources effectively to those areas. This process often involves geographic information systems (GIS) technology, which allows for detailed graphical representations of crime data, enabling better decision-making and strategic planning for crime prevention and community safety.

The other options do not accurately capture the essence of crime mapping. The physical mapping of crime scenes pertains more to documenting the specifics of individual incidents rather than analyzing broader patterns. Evaluating police effectiveness focuses on measuring the performance of law enforcement agencies and does not inherently involve mapping crime data. Interviewing witnesses is a technique used during investigations but is unrelated to the analytical and visual mapping aspect that defines crime mapping.