KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Police are trying out a new way to prevent crime.

In the next few weeks, KCPD will start rolling out a risk-based policing method. They’ll use maps that layer environmental factors to predict where crimes will happen. Commanders will use risk maps to literally map out risk factors for crimes.

“It’s that recipe, if you will, when things are mixed together in a certain area, what will generate more crime,” Sgt. Jonas Baughman said.

Baughman said KCPD has used this method before on a small scale since 2010, and it has worked before.

In the next few weeks, the department will get updated maps and models and will use the latest technology on a larger scale to get ahead of crime.

“We do a really good job at identifying suspects of crime apprehending those suspects, but what I really like about this approach is that it shows the police department can do a better job at crime prevention, and that’s exactly what that strategy is all about,” Baughman said.

Risks factors the maps will help identify could be anything from schools, to liquor stores, to gas stations.

Officers plan to go to neighborhood meetings, present the maps to residents and ask for their input, creating teamwork between citizens and police. That information can be plugged into the new model to update the risk factors and make the maps more accurate.