Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

GARI, a mobile application, helps law enforcement identify and interpret gang-related graffiti in real-time.

A mobile application is making the streets of West Lafayette, Indiana, a safer place. The Gang Graffiti Automatic Recognition and Interpretation (GARI) application, developed by the VACCINE Center at Purdue University, allows law enforcement agents to snap a picture of graffiti on a smart phone and decipher its meaning in real-time.

Graffiti is often used as a communications medium between gang members or as threats for rival gangs. The GARI application has helped to educate the police force on the meanings of symbols by linking back to a database that stores images and labels images. This allows officers to compare the signs they are seeing on the streets and analyze, predict and catalog gang activity all through mobile access.

When officers take a photo the application also records the GPS coordinates, time and date to enable tracking related activities and identifying patterns. The application, while relatively low energy consuming, is highly sophisticated. GARI can analyze and differentiate between colors, shapes and characters.

VACCINE is also developing an application called MERGE (Mobile Emergency Response Guidebook) that provides similar analysis for hazmat symbology. For emergency responders in the field, this application serves as a “guidebook” that helps to determine the protocol for the various situations.

The police force in West Lafayette has already incorporated the technology in their daily operations.

VACCINE plans to distribute this technology to other agencies later this year.

GARI Media coverage: Fox59 in Indianapolis ran a video story on the technology that can be found here: http://www.fox59.com/news/crime/wxin-graffiti-app-purdue-researchers-launch-app-to-interpret-prevent-graffiti-20110822,0,6396768.column

To see the original press release, go to:

http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/general/2011/110818DelpGraffiti.html