Technology and Information Sharing

Development of a Real Time Crime Center for Small to Mid-size Agencies

Location: Ballroom D1/D2 (Elm/Clear Fork), KBHCC

Amy L. Gauldin, MPA, FBINA (281)

Captain
Winston-Salem Police Department
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
WP

William H. Penn, MBA

Assistant Chief of Police
Winston-Salem Police Department
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Catrina A. Thompson, MPA

Chief of Police
Winston-Salem Police Department
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Tim Knowles

Infrastructure Services Coordinator
City of Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Police Department (WSPD) had been unsuccessful in developing a Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) for years. Budgetary constraints, privacy concerns, lack of technology, lack of funding, and no existing camera infrastructure all presented significant challenges. WSPD changed its perspective and consequently its approach by partnering with other city departments (IT) and community groups to overcome these challenges. The cost-effective solution is based on a data-driven strategy that includes new technology and a practitioner-research-based partnership to evaluate the effectiveness of the RTCC. The approach utilized by WSPD can very easily be replicated by other small and midsize agencies.