In this episode of the Geography of Crime podcast, host Grant Drawve spoke with Dr. Tim Hart, Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Tampa. Rather than focusing on any single topic, the conversation highlighted how closely connected issues around GIS, crime data, methodology, and emerging tools like AI have become.
Dr. Hart emphasized the importance of understanding how analytic tools actually work. As crime analysis and research rely more heavily on software, automation, and dashboards, understanding assumptions and limitations becomes more critical, not less. Tools can generate results quickly, but without careful interpretation, those results can be misleading.
The conversation also explored how AI is showing up in research and applied analysis. Rather than framing AI as something to fear or blindly adopt, both speakers emphasized responsible and intentional use. AI can be helpful for testing assumptions, refining methods, and extracting insight from complex data, but only when paired with sound judgment. Avoiding AI entirely is not realistic, but using it without thinking through the implications is just as problematic.
Another recurring theme was learning as an ongoing process. Dr. Hart described revisiting complex methodological problems years later with new tools and better framing. This perspective challenges the idea of expertise as fixed and instead presents it as something built through continued learning, experimentation, and reflection.
The episode also addressed how crime data is communicated publicly. Crime counts are often shared without rates or broader context, which can distort public understanding and policy discussions. This reinforces the importance of careful measurement and clear communication, especially when data is used to inform real-world decisions.
This episode will be particularly useful for crime analysts, researchers, criminologists, criminal justice professionals, students, and educators. It is also relevant for anyone working with spatial data, GIS, policy analysis, or decision-making tools who wants a grounded perspective on how AI and analytics are shaping the field.
Listeners looking for practical insight rather than hype, and for thoughtful discussion that connects research and practice, will find this conversation especially valuable.
Special thanks to our host, Dr. Grant Drawve. Connect with him via email or LinkedIn.
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