Taking Back Your Streets: A look at Louisville Metro's high-tech crime fighting tool
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Over 60 percent of the Louisville Metro budget goes towards public safety. City leaders are giving a behind the scenes look at one tool that is helping police take back our streets.
Louisville joins cities across the country trying to figure out ways to keep people safe. Often times police keep their efforts under wraps for security reasons. But, in light in all of the violent crime we are experiencing, they want to show the public one of the tools they're using.
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When it comes to safety, we often see police officers on the streets.
"A lot of these efforts are visible," Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said.
But, some things you may not notice.
"We currently have over 200 cameras on the system," said Chief Steve Conrad of the Louisville metro Police Department.
Those cameras feed into the Louisville's Real Time Crime Center (RTCC).
"Eleven analyst who are staffing this center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year," Conrad said.
"This is much more than people watching cameras," Fischer said. "They provide real-time support to officers in the field. They provide tactical intelligence suspect identification, subjects of potential retaliation and a likely location
where suspects might flea."
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The equipment is state of the art.
"The analysts working here behind me have the ability to pan, tilt, and zoom cameras to give them a better view of what is occurring," Conrad said.
In the two and half years RTCC has been in operation, Conrad said these analyst have provided information to officers over 11,000 times. Leading to hundreds of arrests in cases involving homicides, shootings, missing persons, stolen cars, firearms, and narcotics.
The analysts also monitor social media, posts that are public.
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Most recently, the RTCC supports LMPDs new gunshot detection technology called ShotSpotter.
"The analysts actively watching the ShotSpotter application to find gunfire incidents and locate those scenes on camera," LMPD Major Josh Judah said.
Conrad said they have a budget request this year in front of The Metro Council where they are asking for another supervisor and analyst. They hope to grow the RTCC over time.
To date, RTCC has helped with nearly 300 arrests and the recovery of 30 stolen vehicles.
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