The Seattle Police Real-Time Crime Center has been mentioned multiple times in community meetings in recent months, held up as an example of how SPD is working harder, and differently, to crack cases. But what is it and what does it do? We and other media crews were invited to SPD headquarters today for an explanation and demonstration. The heart of the latter was an SPD-produced video showing highlights of how the RTCC – located in the HQ building downtown – was used to arrest a suspect after an assault in North Seattle. But first, the center’s commander Capt. Jim Britt explained how it works:
After correcting a playback problem, they then showed the video:
And before that, Capt. Britt gave a top-level overview promising privacy protections were part of their operations:
While SPD stressed that some areas in public did not qualify for privacy protection, like sidewalks, the camera system does have privacy masking for some things such as residential upper-level windows. The demonstration was preceded by comments from newly confirmed SPD Chief Shon Barnes:
Mayor Bruce Harrell and Public Safety Committee chair Councilmember Bob Kettle spoke too; Council president Sara Nelson and Councilmember Maritza Rivera were also there but did not take turns at the microphone.
The major question for us was, when will … or will … it be deployed in West Seattle cases? WS is not in immediate line for city-installed, city-controlled surveillance cameras; the next installments are set for other parts of the city including Capitol Hill and the stadium zone. But the system’s capability to tap into private security cameras, with permission, as well as other city cameras such as traffic cams is what will eventually enable its use in areas without SPD-controlled cameras.
The RTCC is currently staffed 19 hours a day (8 am to 3 am) and is expected to expand to 24/7 next year. You can read the city’s official news release about today’s event and the RTCC here.
