Real-time crime center coming soon to Pueblo, police chief believes it will help catch criminals faster
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - Pueblo City Council passed a resolution Monday to open a real-time crime center (RTCC) in the city, according to Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller.
This move authorizes the city to transfer up to $1,500,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to make it happen.
An RTCC is a centralized point where an operator can make use of integrated technology systems to detect criminal activity, collect and disseminate valuable investigative information, and deploy resources. Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller said it's an effort to solve and prevent crime.
City leaders said the establishment of an RTCC was identified as a need for the Pueblo community. From 2019-2022, the City of Pueblo has suffered a steady increase in gun violence. In that time frame, drive-by shootings increased 133%. Shootings increased 98%, and homicides increased 115%.
On December 31, 2019, the Pueblo PD had 217 sworn officers. By December 31, 2022, that number had fallen to 197 (9% decrease). As of June 30, 2023, the number of sworn officers fell by another ten officers. With the increased gun violence and decreased human resources available to prevent such crime, Noeller believes the establishment of an RTCC is an effort to effectively combat gun crime and prevent it in the future.
The PDD is looking at a gunshot detection system. It uses sound wave detection technology to triangulate the location of gunshots within a defined area and send an immediate alert to the RTCC. On its own, this technology will allow officers to respond quickly to an accurate location to investigate the incident. Adding another layer of technology to the RTCC, however, such as automatic license plate readers, will help investigators identify any vehicles that were used in the shooting.
The RTTC will also allow for public and private cameras to be fed into the system. This will allow private citizens and businesses to voluntarily provide access to their cameras for security and investigative purposes.
The specific components of the RTCC that will be funded by the city are the software and hardware like the servers and computers and the software platform. They also are funding twenty-two automatic license plate readers with a one-year prepaid subscription and data plan.
Additional components of the RTCC will not be purchased with ARPA funds, such as gunshot detection technology, mobile surveillance camera trailers, and personnel costs. Noeller said he has applied for other grants to be able to help fund these other resources.
Noeller is hoping the new facility will be ready to operate by June of 2024.
