Tech-infused crime watch center launches in north Phoenix police precinct
A crime observation hub that dispatches officers based on information from cameras, license plate readers and gunshot detectors was unveiled by Phoenix police Thursday.
The Real Time Crime Center in the Cactus Park Precinct is Phoenix's first tech-infused crime watch hub and one of three planned as part of the $8 million Community Safety Plan launched in 2022 to reduce crime throughout the Interstate 17 corridor. About $5 million is going to the centers, with the rest going to other expenses, including staffing.
The Cactus Park Precinct center's technology was deployed in neighborhoods just west of I-17. Its observational boundaries are roughly West Sweetwater Avenue in the north, Indian School Road in the south, I-17 to the east and 35th Avenue to the west, according to Lt. Scott Cain.
He said the sensors, cameras and license plate readers were primarily placed in areas with "elevated levels of threat," primarily in the southern half of the region the center covers. It will be managed by four civilian specialists 19 hours a day, he said.
The license plate readers have been focused on spotting stolen cars.
Specialists will verify gunshot detector readings by using cameras in the area or confirming with dispatch that a related call was placed. Then, officers will be sent to the scene.
Initially, some residents showed concern about the increase in cameras. Police spokesperson Sgt. Mayra Reeson said the department discussed the concerns with neighbors before installing the technology.
Reeson said the cameras are fixed and mainly cover the centers of intersections when not in use. When the civilian specialists are alerted to a potential crime, they can bring up the closest camera to that location and move it to capture more of the area, she said.
Debra LaPlante, president of the North Glenn Square neighborhood watch group, said she trusted the technology and felt it was targeted enough.
The Phoenix Police Department suffers from a staffing shortage, and the technology is intended to dispatch officers strategically.
Cain said it was still too early to tell how much daily use the precinct would get out of its Real Time Crime Center. In other departments, he said, it took about six months for observation hubs to be fully integrated into daily operations.
Tech-based crime watch centers have been increasing nationwide as police departments use technology to address officer shortages. Scottsdale, Glendale and Mesa already have technology-based crime centers.
Cain said the Desert Horizon Precinct was expected to have the second operational Real Time Crime Center, and the third will be in the Black Mountain Precinct. Both were expected to be operational by the end of the year.
Reach the reporter at miguel.torres@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tech-infused crime watch center launches in Phoenix police precinct
