The Beaumont Police Department is using technology to help reduce crime and the public got its first look of the Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) on July 18 during an official grand opening and ribbon cutting.
The RTCC is located on the second floor of the Municipal Court Building in downtown Beaumont. The RTCC, also called the “Neighborhood Watch of the 21st Century,” is a city-wide initiative led by BPD to enhance the safety of citizens by responding to crime more quickly and efficiently with new technology. Hailed as the most significant advancement in public policing since the invention of 911 and the most substantial technological improvement since computers were placed in police cars, citizens can reportedly expect to see a dramatic reduction in crimes and a notable increase in resolution rates. The RTCC provides officers with critical information before they arrive on scene and while incidents are occurring, along with empowering the public to provide first responders with real-time visibility of incidents right from their cell phone’s camera.
According to Public Information Officer Haley Morrow, the RTCC is a milestone that has been two years in the making.
“This achievement is a culmination of a forward-thinking, innovative police administration, reenforced by the steadfast support of city hall leadership, working together to bring a shared vision to life – a safer Beaumont,” she said. “We believe this facility will play a critical role in reducing crime rates and insuring the safety of our citizens.”
Morrow noted Police Chief James Singletary’s leadership and dedication as instrumental in making the RTCC.
“This facility represents a significant step in our efforts to enhance public safety and protect our community,” Singletary said, noting that the endeavor was a group project brought about by many tireless public servants, City Manager Kenneth Williams, Mayor Roy West and city council members. “It is truly the future of law enforcement.”
Williams said the council “bit the bullet” and approved the $275,000 recommended for the project.
“This happens to be another part and a piece of the puzzle that offers an excellent quality of life and a safer environment,” he said. “We don’t have to tolerate an unsafe environment in any situation.”
According to Lt. Cody Courts, who is overseeing the RTCC, BPD looked at several similar centers in Austin and Arlington, along with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, taking some elements from each to perfect the local model, which consists of 18 large computer monitors on the wall, six work stations with three monitors each, and a console for a supervisor or dispatcher that has three monitors.
“Like anything else, you can only par down so much,” Courts said. “Right now, we have five different license plate reader systems we can check. We have our body and dashboard cameras system, and cameras from different companies.”
He stated that, since January and before unveiling the RTCC, the police department conducted 95 Community Connect meetings. During that time, Courts reported BPD recovered 18 stolen vehicles with the license plate reader system. Courts also reported, with only a three-person staff working 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, six firearms have been recovered and assistance was provided in 87 cases from thefts to homicides to robberies. They also served 146 city warrants that brought in $219,536, based on license plate readers.
“That’s a gigantic step from before when officers were trying to come upon a stolen vehicle,” he said. “Now, we actually know when they are in our city.”
“We’re hoping we’ll be able to get some more people in the future – both civilians and officers to staff it,” Courts added of the desire to beef-up operations. “Ideally, I would like it to be staffed with individuals working 10-hour shifts, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., then 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., with some sort of midnight-type shift where people can pick up some overtime. Their main job would be to have high-burglary locations put up so they could tell if someone is prowling.”
ConnectBeaumontTx.org is a new public safety program enabling Beaumont residents to help keep their community safe by registering their security cameras with BPD and its affiliate agencies. Residents and businesses can register the video surveillance camera for free, and participation, Courts said, will enhance emergency preparedness by enabling police, fire and public safety professionals to better assess and rapidly respond to criminal activity and emergency situations. It will also enable investigators to easily gather evidence in case of an incident.
Camera registration takes less than one minute via a secure online portal and registering cameras does not allow BPD access to live video stream – it only enables investigators to know a camera is present to request video evidence should an incident occur. Added features of the RTCC provides students and teachers a free SOS cell phone app featuring a panic button that provides on-demand livestream capabilities and precise GPS location for emergencies, and video cameras can be integrated in the system so businesses and residents can take community security one step further by giving BPD direct access to your camera feed in case of a nearby emergency.
Interested businesses and residents will need to purchase a small Core device that plugs into their video surveillance system. Registering a camera does not allow the RTCC to view live feeds or previously recorded video from that device.