Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is used by the city in a number of ways serving city staff, local and global businesses, and our citizens.  We use a hybrid approach to delivering GIS technology; where the GIS hardware, software, data, and policy are centralized within the Information Technology Department, yet GIS staff are distributed trhoughout several departments responsibile for maintaining data, and meeting the day-to-day business needs of departments.

Salem GIS combines layers of information to give a better understanding of our region, to manage City resources, and to support decision making throughout the City. Layers of information, such as streets, zoning, and crime are created and maintained in a computer system. Data can be customized by users with GIS mapping tools to create visual displays that reveal patterns, and information that can be critical to decisions that have a geographic component.

With GIS, the City has the ability to store, create, edit, and analyze features with geographic reference, and to attach information to each feature. Data that is stored in GIS is then available for analysis, for mapping, and for linking to other City databases.

The City's GIS can link data together by common location, such as addresses, which helps departments and agencies share their data. By creating a shared database, one department can benefit from the work of another—data can be collected once and then used many times. The collection and maintenance of these information layers in GIS provides the user with improved tools for decision-making to promote a better and more efficient community and an improved quality of life for the citizens of Salem.

Interactive mapping and access to GIS data via the web is not available at this time but is being planned for future release.