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Camden's 2013 murders as represented on an interactive map created by Hopeworks 'N Camden using Google Maps. The map can be viewed at http://www.camdenresources.org/murders.

(Courtesy of Hopeworks 'N Camden)

UPDATE: Hours after this story was published, Camden authorities reported the city's 22nd homicide for the year.

CAMDEN — More than 10 years of Camden homicide data can now be viewed in an interactive map designed by volunteers at a faith-based group, which itself has seen more than 50 murders within a mile of its headquarters since it opened in 2000.

Officials at Hopeworks 'N Camden, which works with city youth to help them finish their education and find paying jobs, created the map using data from the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, hoping that the striking visual of murder locations dotting the map of Camden could spur more action than "just talking about it."

"Year after year, not only does the number of murders stay high, but the locations tend to be the same over and over again," said Dan Rhoton, chief impact director for Hopeworks. "How is it helpful to pretend this data doesn't exist? How is it helpful to just say 'Oh that's awful,' and then just keep going about your day."

The interactive map can be viewed here.

The map allows users to click on a year and see each homicide from that time appear at its corresponding location on a Google map of Camden. Each icon shows how each victim was killed — stabbing, gunshot wound, motor vehicle crash or "other." Clicking on the icon opens a small window telling the user the date of the homicide, its specific location and the victim's age.

"One thing we've learned is that you can't understand what is going on with someone unless you understand what they are experiencing and what is happening around them," said Rhoton. "In Camden, there is a 70 percent high school dropout rate, and that sounds messed up. But when you look at the statistics, and the trauma experienced in the city, it starts to make sense.

"In 2012, Camden had the highest per capita murder rate of any city in the U.S.," he added. "If New York had the same murder rate, it would have had 7,000 murders that year. And yet, no one wants to talk about it."

As of Monday, Camden has seen 21 homicides so far this year. The latest occurred on Aug. 1, when Christopher Mitchell, 34, was shot at around 8:30 p.m. at 7th and Clinton streets. He was pronounced dead at Cooper University Hospital.

Mitchell's murder was the third to come following a 40-day period in which no homicides occurred — something the city had not experienced in several years, officials said.

"It was a welcome respite for our guys, and it allowed them to catch up on some older cases," said Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. "Any period where there is a lull in murders is a good thing."

Laughlin also noted that with 21 murders so far this year, 2014 is on track to be "much less deadly than last year, in which the city saw 57 homicides. By this time in 2013, there had been about 30 murders, Laughlin said.

Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson said that while more police and initiatives targeting violent gang members has reduced the number of shooting victims by 46 percent in the past year, criminals have been quick to adapt.

"The past week reminds us why police must remain dynamic in our strategies and tactics," he said. "Over the past year, we have also seen a significant increase in homicides happening less flagrantly and more so inside structures, such as vacant buildings or cars."

Hopeworks' Rhoton said he is encouraged by the progress made by the metro police so far, but stressed it can only be viewed as a "first step."

"We don't need a respite (from murders), we need a long-term trend," he said. "We're having a conversation where murders not happening in Camden is what's unusual."

"The progress made by the police has been great," he later added. We have neighborhoods where people can feel safe, but we can't pretend that will eliminate the neglect, and the poverty and the trauma felt by the neighbors.

"We need to heal from what's happening to us."

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Jason Laday may be reached at jladay@southjerseymedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonLaday. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.