SMART POLICING AND RISK TERRAIN MODELING: A PREDICTIVE SECURITY ANALYSIS IN AREAS SURROUDING SCHOOLS

This paper explores smart policing through the predictive model Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM). With the growing demand for efficiency in public safety, it becomes essential for police institutions to adopt innovative and data-driven methods for more effective preventive actions. The study was conducted in Porto Alegre and São Leopoldo, focusing on school areas, considering a 200-meter radius around the institutions. The research used data from 2023 and 2024 to identify risk factors associated with pedestrian robberies near schools. The results showed that 69.4% of pedestrian robberies occurred in 20% of the highest-risk school areas in São Leopoldo, indicating the model's accuracy in identifying critical points. Thus, RTM proves to be an effective tool for improving the allocation of police resources and enhancing safety in vulnerable areas.