As Chief James Craig discussed in Detroit Police Department: Renewing Hope Through A Safer Motor City, we have been revolutionizing the ways we deter, respond to and solve crime through our Project Green Light initiative. Our very own Real-Time Crime Center, in the heart of downtown Detroit, is where I work as an analyst, virtually patrolling crime hotspots and providing officers with live support as they respond to active incidents. We are fully staffed, day and night, viewing real-time video surveillance feeds, officer locations, and computer-aided dispatch information all through CommandCentral Aware to monitor high-crime areas of the city and help officers interrupt crime or suspicious activity before it escalates.
The focus is on officer and citizen safety. We pay special attention to problem areas and when officers respond to potentially dangerous situations, make sure that it is safe. I can view video feeds to make sure that the incident area isn’t set up to ambush an officer and also provide real-time information to the officer that is responding to better prepare them for what’s to come.
At first it was difficult to make sure that everyone understood how we could provide intelligence to officers on the street. I think the more we have been doing this, the better we have become broadcasting our information, and the better officers have become at understanding what we can provide to them. Now we’re at the point where they are calling us and saying “did you get that, did you get that on video, what can you provide me with and what can you help me with”.
I moved to Detroit for this job. I live downtown near three Project Green Lights gas stations where I stop to get gas and see first hand a renewed feeling of safety in the community. Recently we’ve had stories of people pulling into gas stations when they are fearing that a crime is about to happen because they know that we’re watching and they know that we could get first responders there quickly. I know that what we do right now as analysts is contributing on the streets every day and it only has the potential to become more impactful. The more cameras we deploy and the further we expand our Real-Time Crime Center, the more people will want to move downtown because of the attractions, the entertainment, the nightlife and most importantly the feeling of safety.
See more about how the Detroit Police Department is transforming their operations with the help of Analysts like Ryan Terrell and CommandCentral Aware at motorolasolutions.com/detroit.
