Inside New Orleans' Real Time Crime Center

"The 24/7 New Orleans Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) was created as a part of the 2017 $40 million Citywide Public Safety Improvement Plan and is housed in the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Bourgeois recalls stepping into the role in May 2017, with the RTCC opening in November of that year after extensive renovations to the building - which had stood vacant since 2005. The facility became a full-time 24-hour operation in February 2018."

"The RTCC leverages technology to provide critical information to first responders in the field and assist with investigations of criminal activity or quality of life concerns. In 2019, the Crime Center fielded over 5,000 requests for assistance from public safety agencies, provided relevant footage for over 70% of requests, and saved an estimated 6,500 NOPD manpower hours. "We utilize a host of different technologies to make our law enforcement and public safety partners, more efficient and more effective," Bourgeois says."

"Throughout the city of New Orleans, the RTCC is responsible for more than 1,500 cameras and an equal number the RTCC has access to that are federated into their system. Keeping watch of nearly 3,000 cameras can be a challenge for any team, however Bourgeois says his team of four to five individuals are able to do so efficiently and effectively utilizing software"

Ross Bourgeois has served as director and the first employee of the New Orleans Real-Time Crime Center since its inception. The RTCC launched after renovations in November 2017 and became a full-time 24-hour operation in February 2018. The center uses technology to deliver critical information to first responders and to assist investigations and quality-of-life concerns. In 2019 the RTCC handled over 5,000 assistance requests, provided relevant footage for over 70% of requests, and saved an estimated 6,500 NOPD manpower hours. Cumulative hours saved since opening exceed 50,000. The center manages nearly 3,000 cameras with a small operational team.

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