52 How a Crime Atlas Is Changing Policing and Crime Fighting in Austria The acid thieves were bound to hit Vienna. Austrian law enforcement had been on the lookout for this trend. Although Austria’s violent crime rate is low, property crimes persist. The acid thieves don’t steal acid. Starting in 2023, in several European cities burglars have gained access to buildings by using nitric acid to melt door locks. When thieves took this tactic in Vienna, the burglary popped up on a map shared by law enforcement agencies across Austria. Mapping crime is not a new idea. We’ve all seen detailed crime maps covered with pushpins in TV shows and movies. Now, digital crime maps are answering questions like, could the five thieves charged with 90 acid burglaries in Paris be part of a larger group? Authorities are not sure, yet. But in Austria, police have a map-based visualization tool and cross-jurisdictional In Austria, a digital crime atlas helps police visualize crimes, identify patterns, and collaborate on investigations and crime prevention efforts.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA2NTE0Mw==