Real-time crime center

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An illustration of how a RTCC can be connected to local license plate readers in a 2025 GAO report Figure 5- Example of automated license plate readers transmitting data to a real-time crime center (55014334346).jpg
An illustration of how a RTCC can be connected to local license plate readers in a 2025 GAO report

Real-time crime centers (RTCCs) are agencies used to centralize technology use by law enforcement and emergency first responders. During early adoption, the primary purpose of RTCC was to give field officers and detectives instant information to help identify patterns and stop emerging crime. Through cloud computing, RTCCs try to offer enhanced visibility, unified awareness, and the appropriate level of response in emergency resource deployment via instant-live video, live feed camera docking, virtual incident location mapping and full integration with computer-aided dispatch (CAD).

Contents

Operations

RTCCs unify live video and data feeds to create a central hub that enhances the situational awareness and investigative capabilities of law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Early adoption

NYPD Real Time Crime Center emblem Realtimecrimecenterofficial.png
NYPD Real Time Crime Center emblem

The NYPD RTCC opened on July 18, 2005, and provides support 24/7. The center was built at a cost of $11 million. The information in the center is available to the 37,000 police officers of the New York City Police Department. The RTCC was funded in part by grants from the non-profit New York City Police Foundation. [1] [2]

RTCC data sources include a data warehouse in which billions of records are made available to detectives and other officers within minutes, instead of days or weeks. These include: [3] [4] [5]

The crime center employs satellite imaging and mapping of New York City (using geographic information system software) precinct-by-precinct. The link analysis capacity of the RTCC can track suspects to their known addresses and point detectives to the locations where they are most likely to flee. The Real Time Crime Center was built with the oversight of provider Dimension Data.

List of RTCCs

Police departments that have real-time crime centers include:

References

  1. "NYPD Unveils High-Tech Real Time Crime Center At Police Headquarters".
  2. "Real-time crime fighting comes to Gotham".
  3. "Stopping Crime in Real Time".
  4. "New York's Techno Crime Fighters".
  5. "Fighting Crime in Real Time".
  6. Rangel, Leslie (2016-08-02). "How police monitors situations in downtown Austin in realtime". KXAN. Retrieved 2018-10-10.
  7. "HPD's High-tech center helping solve crimes".

See also