There is evidence that RTCCs have positive effects, Piza says. Early findings show that these solutions work best when they’re complemented by other initiatives and when police departments invest in training and staffing to make their command centers more effective. Video surveillance is a big part of those initiatives.
“It’s a false notion to say if we put up cameras, the bad guys are going to be afraid to commit crimes,” Piza says. “Cameras that are actively monitored by human beings searching for crimes work better than cameras that are passively monitored. What really drives the success or failure of police technology is how the human beings are applying it.”
Collaborative Organizations Share Video Feeds from Across the City
Established with the assistance of CDW, the Newport News crime center incorporates video feeds from thousands of private surveillance cameras, saving the city significant money. “When other entities allow us to tap into their cameras with our software, we can use what’s already there,” Drew says.
The city also has its own cameras, along with license plate readers and the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system. While Newport News does not yet use analytics on its video footage, officials are looking into an artificial intelligence program that can automatically detect weapons.
EXPLORE: How cloud-based tools ease the burden of data collection and analysis for investigators.
Two detectives staff the RTCC for 10 hours per day. When a call comes in, those detectives can access footage from the immediate area and provide officers on the scene with information. Drew says that the system has helped Newport News to achieve one of the highest homicide case clearance rates in the state.
“We look at technology as a way to not only solve crimes but to be more surgical,” Drew says. “It is used to disrupt violent crime in communities and to try to be proactive. At the end of the day, the focus on technology is about trying to get ahead of crime and solve it. It’s not about Big Brother. It’s really about public safety.”