Los Angeles Police Department Gains Geographic Advantage Using ESRI Software. Check it out:
REDLANDS, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has selected ESRI for an enterprise geographic information system (GIS) platform that will provide numerous benefits to staff across the organization. The implementation will include ESRI software, services, and application development.
ESRI will provide GIS applications and spatial data access for uses such as incident management, 911 and communications, emergency management, and homeland security. GIS will serve as a core tool in the CompStat inspection process, which will allow command staff to use spatial technology to look at digital maps of criminal activity and compare them with everything from arrests to calls for service and more.
The new crime analysis selection came after a vigorous screening and investigation process. The resulting crime mapping system will provide information integration, geocoding, spatial analysis, georeporting, and map output capabilities.
"In the last decade, the use of GIS has become vital to the overall effectiveness of law enforcement," says Rudy Pichardo, detective, LAPD. "We had plenty of demands put on our current crime analysis system that were beyond its current capabilities. We needed to move forward, so we evaluated current and future needs and then developed a new system that provided a platform for future growth and continued success. We also wanted to leverage existing city GIS standards, which are based on ESRI technology. This meant we could utilize GIS data from other city entities as well as provide data to these agencies."
"LAPD staff members will be able to utilize a full range of GIS applications and data," says Jonathan Corbridge, senior account manager, ESRI. "They will be able to use GIS tools without having to become full-time GIS specialists. The system is scalable, meaning the GIS can expand with future growth. It will integrate with existing intranet, RDBMS, desktop, and customized application environments. The user-friendly enterprise will be tailored to meet all of their requirements."
The Computer Analysis Mapping System (CAMS) operates in three tiers. The first is CAMS Web, which will use ArcIMS technology to provide agency-wide access to department managers, investigators, patrol officers, and others. The intranet application is accessible from any of more than 6,300 department-wide computers. Users can view maps, query information, conduct easy-to-use analysis, and generate reports. Information including crime incidents, crime and arrest locations, recovered vehicles, citations, traffic accidents, calls for service, and more will be made available.
While taking advantage of all the functionality and data of CAMS Web, CAMS Desktop applications will provide more advanced analysis and mapping capabilities to crime analysts. These users can take advantage of more robust client-side applications customized to specific user requirements. CAMS will allow high-level functionality including density mapping, stolen/recovered vehicle linking, temporal interval mapping, and more.
The third tier involves the use of CAMS as part of LAPD's CompStat process. The CompStat system was developed by Los Angeles police chief William Bratton while working as police chief for New York City. CompStat is an inspection process with GIS as one component of the overall process. Statistical analysis, risk management, and other data are produced using the CompStat framework. GIS provides the visualization, geoquery, and spatial analysis functionality of CompStat.
Founded in 1969, ESRI (www.esri.com) is the world leader in the GIS software industry. ESRI offers innovative solutions that help users create, manage, analyze, and display information to make timely decisions and solve problems they encounter every day. ESRI's comprehensive product line ranges from desktop GIS to GIS for the enterprise.
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