PhiCAMS Crime Analysis and Mapping

The Philadelphia Crime Analysis and Mapping System (PhiCAMS) tracks the geographic locations of crimes across the city, enhancing the Philadelphia Police Department’s ability to track, analyze and investigate crimes throughout the city.

Client: Philadelphia Police Department

Challenge: Maps are compelling analytical tools for crime fighting and analysis, but they often require specialized expertise to produce. The Philadelphia Police Department was seeking to increase the reach of its three-person Crime Mapping and Analysis Unit to better serve the 7,000 officers on the force. The proposed system had to be user-friendly for non-GIS experts and accessible from district offices across the city.

Solution: Avencia created PhiCAMS for use by police officers, detectives, and command staff. PhiCAMS is a web-based system that includes the ability to generate custom charts and maps, perform complex searches, and generate reports for incidents, crimes involving firearms and arrests. The intuitive, easy-to-use software is server-based and can be accessed from the district offices with nothing more than a web browser.

Outcomes: PhiCAMS is used widely by police officers at all levels in the department, generating thousands of queries and maps per day. Since its inception, several enhancements, including access to firearms analysis system and dispatch data, have been added as the direct result of feedback from officers using the applications in the field. PhiCAMS enables sophisticated analysis of crimes and patterns in criminal activity, improving the Police Department’s ability to more effectively address crime and safety concerns in Philadelphia.