Esri ArcGIS Pro Foundation Certification Practice Test

As a crime analyst, which method can be used to create a 3-mile area around a new arson case?

1. Generate Near Table

2. Generate Origin Destination Links

3. Buffer

4. Near

The correct answer is: Buffer

The method to create a 3-mile area around a new arson case is to use the Buffer tool. Buffering is a geospatial operation that creates a new polygon around point features (like an arson case) at a specified distance. In this context, applying a buffer of 3 miles will result in the generation of an area that encompasses all locations within that distance from the incident point. This technique is particularly useful for visualizing the influence of crime incidents or assessing proximity to various resources, such as potential escape routes or locations of neighboring incidents. Other methods listed, such as generating a near table or origin-destination links, serve different purposes in spatial analysis. Generating a near table provides information about the nearest features to a point, which does not create a defined area. Similarly, origin-destination links are used in transport planning to analyze movement patterns between different locations rather than establishing a spatial area around a point. The Near tool calculates distances to the closest features but does not create an area of influence like the Buffer tool does. Thus, Buffer is the most appropriate choice for creating a defined area around the arson case.