Graffiti Tracker: Utilizing Data to Fight Crime

Graffiti Tracker contracts with cities to provide graffiti tracking and analysis services via a web-based system. Graffiti Tracker has analyzed more than 1.5 million graffiti images from across the county, and gathered a substantial amount of graffiti intelligence in the process.

The images are categorized in one of five ways in order to make it easier for police to identify and catch vandals:

• Role Call – Identifies members of a gang or tagging crew by their moniker (tagging name)
• Threatening – Allows law enforcement to see which gangs/crews are at odds and helps to predict future violence
• Sympathy – Alerts law enforcement when a member of a gang/crew is killed
• Territorial – Shows where gangs/crews have aggressively marked their territory
• Publicity – Announces the presence of a gang/crew

The Graffiti Tracker system of categorization was developed using data that was collected and shared with various government agencies. Government and private business owners at all levels could relate to and benefit from this presentation. Gov 2.0 Expo attendees will learn about the benefit of sharing data between multiple agencies and the opportunities that exist to use the data and collaboration as a basis to start a business. They will also have the opportunity to learn from the victories and mistakes of a start-up serving government clients.