STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: November 1, 2022
To:
From:
Subject:
Honorable Mayor & City Council
Mark G. Stainbrook, Chief of Police
Police Department Update on Real Time Watch Center
Attachments: None
INTRODUCTION
The City Council approved the Real Time Watch Center (RTWC) concept and funding on April 12, 2022. The RTWC was officially launched on June 7, 2022.
Prior to the RTWC, the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) excelled in retroactively solving crimes. However, since the launch of the RTWC, BHPD has reduced response times and regularly interdicts criminals before or immediately after a crime occurs. The RTWC has become the command and control center for all daily police department operations.
DISCUSSION
In the course of launching the RTWC, BHPD successfully trained Virtual Patrol Operators from Covered-6 and NASTEC in a week-long course dedicated to closed circuit television (CCTV) camera monitoring, coordinated drone operations within the RTWC, installed thirty-one (31) new automated license plate readers (ALPR), and implemented Live911 software in the RTWC.
Timeline – Key Dates
31 May to June 6 Virtual Patrol Operator Training Academy 7 June RTWC went live
1 July Drone Operations expanded to 7 day a week coverage 6 July Flock ALPR system fully deployed
1 August 24 hour video operator coverage began
9 August Live911 beta testing began
Since the launch of the RTWC, there has been a significant decrease in crime within the City of Beverly Hills. Total crime is down 34% since June of 2022.
Meeting Date: November 1, 2022
The RTWC is comprised of the following elements: CCTV cameras, ALPRs, unmanned aerial systems (drones), Live911, and a fusion cell.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras
The nearly 2,000 City CCTV cameras are now monitored continuously. One aspect of constant monitoring is the ability of the camera operators to be virtually “on-scene” to a call for service or officer initiated activity in a very short period of time, assuming there is camera coverage. Additionally, the Virtual Patrol Operators (VPOs) conduct directed virtual patrols in high-activity areas to search for suspicious activity.
The statistics for the VPOs are collected daily. From June 7, 2022 - October 15, 2022 the VPOs logged the following activity:
Public Works and Information Technology continue to work closely with BHPD to expand and upgrade the CCTV network. CCTV expansion is focused on three main areas:
parking structures; high priority intersections; and the upgrade / expansion of residential cameras.
At the September 20, 2022, Council meeting, staff presented an accelerated two-phase plan to deploy cameras within all of the City’s parking structures. Camera locations and CCTV Activity
June 7 to October 15, 2022
Total
Virtual First On-scene 1,093
Observed Criminal Activity 38
Arrest Incidents Overwatch 166
Proactive Virtual Patrols 2,406
Directed Virtual Patrol 71
Field Incidents overwatch
(observed/reported incident)
18 Meeting Date: November 1, 2022
network designs are complete, and the majority of the equipment needed for Phase I of this work has been received. Staff remains confident that the installation and operation of these cameras will be in place by the end of 2022. Phase II is anticipated to be complete by December 2023.
High-priority cameras are being installed at twenty-three key intersections, primarily located in the commercial areas of the City. Preliminary cabling work is currently underway and most of the equipment has been received. Field crews expect these new installations to be completed by March of 2023. This will result in over 100 new camera views in areas identified by the BHPD as crucial in achieving situational awareness in busier areas of the City.
The remaining area of focus is centered on improving the City’s camera network in residential neighborhoods. This involves upgrading and improving existing camera views to better meet the needs of the RTWC, and the expansion of the camera network by leveraging the City’s fiber optic network to provide higher resolution cameras in novel areas. This work is constantly ongoing as we are continuously improving the system based on crime patterns and other public safety needs.
At present, staff is not requesting additional funding for CCTV, as the bulk of this work is being absorbed as part of existing CIP projects and operational budgets. Staff plans to return to Council as part of the midyear budget review for additional resources needed for camera maintenance and expansion, or as part of the larger RTWC program.
Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR)
The ring of Automated License Plate Readers surrounding the City continues to be the early warning detectors of possible criminal activity. Since June 7, 2022 there have been thirty-nine (39) APLR initiated incidents. Although the initial contact is generally for a stolen vehicle, or of a wanted person, the resulting arrests have included additional charges involving guns, narcotics, stolen property, and possession of burglary tools.
Additionally, BHPD has successfully interdicted catalytic converter theft and mail theft suspects.
An additional four (4) ALPRs have been installed on Rodeo Drive through a pilot community partnership program with the Rodeo Drive Committee.
Drone as a First Responder (DFR) Program
The Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program provides first responders with timely, decision-quality data and watch commanders with an aerial perspective during incident management.
Drone flights have provided significant support to patrol officers by being first on scene to calls for service. Additionally, the DFR program has responded to suspicious person calls, crimes in progress, monitored traffic stops and investigations and has provided support for traffic accidents. To date, the DFR drone has flown over 2,384 missions in Beverly Hills, and counting. Drone technology provides rapid air support for field personnel and allows for the same type of aerial coverage as a helicopter, with the benefits of lower cost and reduced liability.
Drone operations began on December 11, 2021. The below statistics are from December 20, 2021, to October 15, 2022:
Meeting Date: November 1, 2022
Drone Activity Total
Flights Completed 2,384
First on Scene 674
Calls Responded 1,283
Calls Cancelled 124
Cover Traffic Stop 317
Special Watch 335
Officer Request 60
Assist on Calls 671
When DFRs are not deployed, FAA trained Officers, who work Patrol, have drones in their vehicles to handle any situation that requires drone support. This program ensures that BHPD will have drone technology in the City at all times.
The DFR field operations site is currently being relocated to a taller building within the City. Field tests have shown that the DFR drone will be able to cover nearly 100% of the City. The new site should be operational no later than December 1, 2022. Future needs may include a drone with extended flight time. Current capability is a flight time of approximately 30 minutes before a battery change is required.
Live911
Live911 technology allows 911 calls to livestream directly to first responders in the field.
Live911 has been successfully integrated into RTWC operations as of September 2022.
Live911 is currently being field tested in three police vehicles.
There have already been several success stories for Live911, in which the drone pilot or VPO was able to virtually respond to a scene more quickly due to listening to the initial 911 call. In one case, the caller’s descriptions assisted the drone pilot in relaying important information to officers on the ground.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no additional fiscal impact at this time, however as the RTWC continues to be evaluated there may be additional funding requests in the future.
RECOMMENDATION
The RTWC’s technologies, CCTV (Milestone), ALPRs, and drones, are being used in an integrated fashion to more proactively identify criminal threats before they strike, with the goal of reducing crime. As the current case studies show, the cohesive use of technology has revolutionized the way BHPD secures the City.
Since the launch of the Department’s RTWC, over 30 agencies, cities, organizations and partners have visited our RTWC. The feedback has been that the City and BHPD are leading the way in the future of law enforcement. The more law enforcement agencies Meeting Date: November 1, 2022
which can adopt similar changes within their organizations, the more safety and security can prevail within the greater Southern California region.
We need to continue to evaluate DFR, ALPR, and CCTV technology in order to become as efficient as possible in responding to calls for service, assisting officers in the field, and providing excellent evidence to our investigators. The RTWC provides a significant amount of data that can be leveraged to predict crime hot spots and potentially deploy resources to mitigate criminal activity. Moving into the future, we will need to employ enhanced artificial intelligence and data analytics to support the DFR and CCTV operators, as well as our crime and intelligence analysts. Fortunately, the RTWC has helped reduce crime in the City; however, the rapid implementation and quick successes have left little time to fully evaluate exactly what is working best and if we are maximizing our current resources.
Mark G. Stainbrook
Chief of Police
Approved By