In 2009, Philadelphia witnessed an alarming 67 percent increase in domestic violence murders over the previous year. Under the leadership of Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey and then-Deputy Police Commissioner Patricia Giorgio-Fox, the Philadelphia Police Department and the domestic violence advocacy community convened a series of meetings to determine how to better serve victims of domestic violence and how to prevent homicides.
It soon became clear that the majority of the 37 victims killed in 2009 had previously called 911 — many on multiple occasions — but very few had ever contacted a domestic violence service provider. Upon learning that many of the homicide victims had not had contact with victim service agencies, the committee, which consisted of the police department, the Office of the District Attorney and advocacy agencies including Women's Law Project and Women Against Abuse, devised a plan for more thorough investigation of domestic violence 911 calls and earlier intervention.
