How to map violence without police data

Murder data and mapping can serve as a guide to action, because it provides insights into general violence trends.

Reducing violence requires knowing how it occurs and tailoring responses accordingly. Understanding where, when and how murder takes place also provides insights into other violent crime trends. This can be achieved by plotting murder on maps, but the South African Police Service does not regularly make such data available. In the absence of police data, how can murder trends be charted to guide violence prevention and policing interventions?

About the author

Andrew Faull is a Senior Researcher in the ISS’ Justice and Violence Prevention Programme. He has 15 years’ experience researching and working on police, corruption, identity, violence prevention and civilian oversight in South Africa. He is the author of two books about South African police and has a PhD from the University of Oxford.

Picture: Amelia Broodryk/ISS