AGENDA REPORT
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June 27, 2023
Honorable Mayor & City Council
Mark G. Stainbrook, Chief of Police
POLICE DEPARTMENT UPDATE ON REAL TIME WATCH CENTER
None
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the continued use, operation, evaluation and expansion of the RTWC and the supporting technologies in an effort to continue to provide efficient, reactive and proactive service to the community through responding to calls for service, assisting officers in the field, providing evidence for our investigators, deterring and discouraging crime within the community while ensuring residents, visitors and community members continue to experience safe and secure use of our public and private spaces.
INTRODUCTION
The Real Time Watch Center (RTWC) was officially launched on June 7, 2022 with the purpose of becoming a regional and national example of a command and control center for daily police department operations.
Goals and objectives of the RTWC were to generate proactive law enforcement, including reduced response times, early identification and interdiction of criminal activity, and improved information and evidence collection to solve crimes and prosecute criminals. The RTWC was enacted as a real time tool to reduce crime, disincentivize criminals from committing crimes, and to reduce the fear of crime through proactive and immediately responsive law enforcement. To date, the City has hosted approximately 49 agencies and over 250 individuals through May 2023 to tour, observe and learn about the City’s technology, operations and implementation.
DISCUSSION
The RTWC operations consist of the BHPD Watch Commander Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, and 24-hour monitoring of the City’s Milestone cameras by Virtual Patrol Operators (VPOs).
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The RTWC utilizes several technologies for monitoring, responding and communicating with officers in the field. The information below outlines technologies, deployments and impacts through May 2023.
General
In total, there are more than 35 different hardware, software, web and other types of applications, databases and portals which provide various tools for the RTWC that include real-time monitoring, planning, reporting, informed response and performance metrics that are used for operations, investigations and resource allocation to prevent, respond to, investigate, and prevent crime. Some of the specific systems are outlined below.
Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR)
The automated license plate recognition systems provide continual monitoring and notifications from hardware located at fixed locations throughout the City and mobile units installed on patrol vehicles.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) System
The CCTV system includes both the hardware and software for the continuous monitoring of cameras and video streams throughout the City. This includes fixed and pan-tilt-zoom cameras, solar/cell, mobile camera trailers and real-time monitoring/notification
Live 911
The Live 911 system allows for remote monitoring of 911 calls. Although not able to interact with callers or dispatchers through this system, VPOs in the RTWC are able to hear 911 calls live and in real-time.
Drones
Drone operations in the Police Department have three separate functions. Drone as First Responder (DFR) and Rapid Response Drone (RRD) which are operated as part of the RTWC and a separate ‘Tactical’ drone program, which is primarily used by the SWAT team.
The RTWC Drone program was commissioned in December 2021, and has continued to expand and grow both the hours of operation and the area of coverage throughout the City. The original footprint was restricted through geofencing to only the business triangle. As of March 2023, the area of coverage has expanded to include the City’s entire footprint, using geofencing to ensure observation, and monitoring remain within the City boundaries and jurisdiction.
Image 1.1 below graphically represents the timeline for the expanding coverage, showing the historical geofencing footprint from inception to current services through May 2023.
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Image 1.1 – Drone as First Responder Expanded Coverage
Table 1.3 below, illustrates the impacts and successes of the primary technologies used in the RTWC.
Table 1.3 Technology Impacts and Results
Description Impacts/Results
Through May 2023
ALPR
ALRP Assisted Incidents - Arrests 62
ALPR Stolen Vehicle Recovery 110
CCTV
CCTV System – BHPD Users 150
CCTV Field Incident Overwatch 5420+ (March 2023)
CCTV Arrest Incidents Overwatch 607
CCTV Observed Criminal Activity 146
CCTV Directed Virtual Patrol 617
CCTV Proactive Virtual Patrols 900
Virtual Patrol First On-Scene 9042
Drone
Drone Flights Completed 5269
Drone Virtual First On-Scene 1804
Drone Cleared Prior to Patrol Response 331
Drone ‘Special Watch’ Patrols 1238
Drone Call Response 3357
Use of these technologies is intended to promote the reduction of crime through immediate and real-time response to incidents, the investigation and clearing of cases which result in arrests and convictions, and by publicizing our capabilities to disincentivizing future crime from being perpetrated on our community.
With the commissioning of the RTWC, crime statistics showed a reduction of 37% between June 2022 – November 2022. Statistics show an aggregated 20% overall Meeting Date:
reduction in crime from June 2022 – May 2023. Crime statistics are represented graphically below in Graph 1.1.
Property crime activity shows a 20% reduction during the first year of operations from June 2022 thru May 2023. While there was an increase between December 2022 and May 2023 compared to the prior six months (37% reduction,) it is currently unclear if that is a result of seasonal crime statistics and/or an overall regional increase. Additionally, as with most communities, departments are working to understand the impacts of what constitutes the ‘new normal’ related to the national and regional COVID rebound, including how this impacts overall crime statistics and how our community compares with regional and neighboring jurisdictions. Since statistics are usually compared year over year, January to December, staff will have a better objective comparison in December 2023, with a full calendar year of operations for comparison. Total Crimes are down 21% and violent crimes are down 27% from June 2022.
Graph 1.1 – Crime Statistics – 20% Overall Property Crime Reduction Future Operations
The BHPD is continually expanding and improving service to the community through the use of technology and partnerships, including support from Public Works and Information Technology. Together, there is a planned expansion of CCTV in City parking facilities, with Phase 1 completed in 2022 and Phase 2 on schedule for completion by December 2023. High-priority cameras were installed in key intersections. The City is also investing in two additional camera trailers for mobile deployment. The City is also continuing the expansion of ALPR technology, including refreshing the in-vehicle camera systems and ALPR when vehicles are replaced as part of the standard vehicle replacement cycle.
The City is currently working through the implementation and deployment of the Fusus system, which aggregates real-time data and information from multiple systems to coordinate monitoring, investigations and real-time response.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no additional fiscal impact at this time, however additional RTWC and technology funding requests were considered as part of the 2023/2024 budget process for continued operations, expansion and improvements.
Mark G. Stainbrook,
Chief of Police
Approved By