Mapping Drug Dealers and other Crowdsourcing GIS News

Residents [of Reynosa, on the Mexico side of the Texas/Mexico border] are now using social media and Google Maps to report drug dealers in their neighborhoods.

An anonymous group of Twitter users launched the project a few months ago but it's now surging in popularity.

In an email interviews with Action 4 News, the creators of the map said they are asking people to report drug dealers using the #reynosafollow channel of Twitter.

Officials have their own reporting channel.

- Valley Central

The McCreary County  [Kentucky] Tourist Commission is looking for local mappers. The goal?

to “map” trails for tourists who may share their particular interest — such as hiking, off-roading, crafting, coal history, photography, etc. The resulting maps can then be developed into itineraries available on the county’s tourism website for self-guided tours.

“We need information for all kinds of trails,” County Tourism Director Ginger McCartt-West told The Record. “It doesn’t have to be an outdoor experience.”

A grant enables the effort and volunteers can use helmet cameras to make first person videos for the county website.

- McCreary Record

A class at UC Berkeley is mapping doggie amenities vs number of babies in San Francisco's Mmission District. Have any input?

- Map via Mission Local

Quotes of the Week

“I don't want somebody, my future family, my children, whatever happens in my life on this property, I don't want them burdened with an imaginary line that somehow, someway will find its way into our lives by either some methodology of extortion or whatever you want to call it.”

- Ed Niles, a resident of Malibu, CA, who is concerned about a "wish list" trail map of the area that includes a trail through his property in West Malibu.

“It should be completely clear to everyone and completely unambiguous that this trails map has absolutely no effect on your underlying property rights whatsoever,”

- Don Schmitz, chair of the trails committee.

- Malibu Times