Parks and the geography of fear

Crime and safety have been issues of interest among park manager for many years. These problems not only effect participation in parks, but also could have a negative impact on the overall experience. Recently, researchers have been integrating programs like geographical information systems with empirical data to study and analyze this problem. This study incorporates different set of data to better understand crime patterns in Gainesville, FL parks. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Gainesville Police Department, onsite park survey and Gainesville Parks and Recreation Department were used. Results from the survey indicate that most people feel very safe in Gainesville's parks. GIS analysis and police reports demonstrate a lack of criminal activities among most of the city parks. The importance of this study is to demonstrate what is happening and where park managers and administrators can use this information to improve the areas most affected by crime.