The US Department of Justice released this document in February 2003 about the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in law enforcement. "GIS is an application that links database software to graphics software to create visual images of various types of data in map format." The report outlines the applications of such systems in police cars and at victim assistance facilities, providing examples of situations where it has been used successfully and cases that could have benefited from GIS. Concerns about privacy and confidentiality related to GIS are also identified.