THE CHALLENGE
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION AND DATA-DRIVEN INSIGHTS WOULD ENSURE MORE EFFICIENT OPERATIONS Glendale had powerful technology solutions, and the GPD knew integrating technology would maximize its efficiency. License Plate Recognition (LPR) existed in a limited capacity, but it had not been integrated with other systems and its data was not easy to access. Additionally, the GPD had used Motorola two-way radios for many years but had not integrated radio with other systems. While the City of Glendale had installed traffic cameras at every major intersection, video was not integrated into law enforcement systems. “The Arizona Cardinals play at a stadium in the Western part of our city,” said Assistant Chief Brandt. “During game day the GPD had access to transportation cameras throughout the city. But on a daily operational level, we didn’t. I knew we needed to incorporate traffic cameras into our law enforcement efforts.” When investigating crimes, GPD had to request video of local businesses or the Transportation Department, which could take days or weeks to obtain. Detectives needed faster access to crime scene video to keep investigations moving in a timely fashion “We would get a call reporting a crime, then request video from the Transportation Department or surrounding businesses and then we would wait,” recalled Sergea nt Daniel Soto, who oversees the RTCC. “It could be up to a week before we had something to review.” And when the GPD needed to share information with the County Attorney’s office or agencies in other jurisdictions, those same delays could occur. “Requesting info required phone calls, downloading to disk, mailing, and drop-offs,” said Sergean t Soto. “We knew integration would mean easier sharing.” Data-based insights were also required to increase efficiency. Analytics on crime trends would allow the department to proactively adjust coverage schedules while allocating resources and coverage to the areas that needed it most rather than relying on broad, regularly scheduled patrols “Data drives the police response,” stated Officer Clubb. “Without data, we’re forced to do arbitrary patrols. We wouldn’t have the ability to make a designated impact in a hotspot area, because we wouldn’t know where the hotspot was.” An integrated solution that aggregated public and private video feeds, radio, LPR and other inputs into an easily accessible, centralized ecosystem would speed criminal apprehension and prosecution. Powerful analytics capabilities would allow the GPD to pinpoint and learn from crime trends while adjusting staffing accordingly.
SOLUTION
Glendale leaders were inspired by Detroit’s program, which combined the advanced technology of an RTCC with the support and partnership of local businesses. The GPD approached Glendale Transportation Department officials about a cross-agency partnership that would utilize existing traffic cameras to help build the RTCC’s video foundation. Further increasing the RTCC’s reach and power, the GPD embarked on a unique public/private partnership with Circle K, the first participant in Glendale’s City Watch program. In addition to feeds from traffic cameras, the RTCC now has direct access to cameras from twenty Glendale- area Circle K stores. “We were impressed by what we saw in Detroit, because they’d used convenience stores as sources of video for their RTCC,” said Assistant Chief Brandt. “Circle K has a big presence in the Glendale areas and a very robust camera system. Plus, we had a good working relationship with them. From the start they were on board and were excited about the program.” To build its own RTCC, Glendale selected Motorola Solutions, a flexible partner capable of implementing multiple third-party integrations that would allow it to leverage existing technology while staying agile by adding new technology resources as they became
CASE STUDY | GLENDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT
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