A new technology hub will control and interface all of the various technologies in play, the Fresno Police Department announced this week. The system, called Real Time Crime Center, monitors the network of cameras and sensors throughout Fresno, fields all 911 calls and gives officers instantaneous access to any city camera, including body worn cameras, dash cameras and traffic cameras.

The system shows officers three pieces of data on any 911 call: the threat level at the location, the criminal history of anyone living at the home and a list of known friends and family members. The database immediately pulls all public information for the location of any 911 calls, including arrest records of residents, and gives the location a threat rating that makes officers aware of any potential threats to consider in crafting a response. When activated, the Real Time Crime Center will have access to 180 video cameras placed at intersections and public buildings, 140 traffic cameras, 750 cameras placed by the Fresno Unified School District and more than 400 police officer body cameras that will be in use by the end of the year. Negotiations are ongoing to add cameras from local shopping centers, banks, hospitals, convenience stores and retailers.

The interface of all of these systems promises to enhance officer safety, as well as improve response times and, ideally, help officers properly assess a situation before they engage with the public. Yet with any new advance in the technological capabilities of law enforcement come attendant privacy concerns.

As technology like the Real Time Crime Center becomes mainstreamed, law enforcement agencies are encouraged to proactively craft policies and procedures that consider the transparency requirements under the Public Records Act, the release or disclosure of information and data obtained pursuant to a civil or criminal subpoena or by Court order in order to comply with the law. Beyond that, agencies should strive to maximize the benefit such technology offers to law enforcement officers, and to engage best practices to minimize any resulting impact due to privacy related concerns made by members of the public. As police departments, like Fresno PD continue to utilize cutting edge technology to anticipate and investigate criminal activity in their communities, it is essential departments consider and balance these competing interests and implement sound policies that comply with state and federal guidelines.