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Ala. city schools will feed video to PD’s real time crime center, council announces

“These cameras will be deployed at large events and gatherings to help be the eyes for law enforcement,” City Council member Hunter Williams said

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Birmingham police Chief Scott Thurmond said the department’s Real Time Crime Center is helping to solve crimes, and more technology is on the way. (Carol Robinson)

Carol Robinson | crobinson/TNS

By Greg Garrison
al.com

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Birmingham City School video cameras will soon feed video to Birmingham Police’s Real Time Crime Center.

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The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved an agreement with the Birmingham Board of Education to share video assets on school properties, including cameras located in the public areas of schools such as lobbies, building exteriors and athletic facilities.

“These feeds will be shared with the Birmingham Police Department in real time,” said City Council member Hunter Williams. “Keeping our students safe is the highest priority we have here.”

The school cameras add to the city’s ever-expanding network of cameras.

“A lot of the times we already have school resource officers deployed at sporting events or other large events, but if we have an emergency come up, having these camera feeds available to law enforcement could help save lives,” Williams said.

“They will be able to advise responding units exactly where they need to go, whether that’s a medical emergency or something else.”

The council also voted to add three additional mobile camera units that can be deployed to hotspots throughout the city, especially to monitor exhibition driving.

“These cameras will be deployed at large events and gatherings to help be the eyes for law enforcement,” Williams said.

“What we want to do is utilize these units outside of large events as well to deter criminal activity in certain areas. As you know, the city is now able to use cameras in prosecuting those who participate in illegal street racing, and this is another tool for the city to reduce that.”

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LEARN MORE ABOUT REAL TIME CRIME CENTERS
AI agents can help alert agencies about potentially risky behavior before an incident happens, bridging the gap between private sector security concerns and public safety operations
In an era where technology significantly enhances law enforcement capabilities, Real Time Crime Centers (RTCCs) have emerged as a critical component for modern policing
Federal and state funding is making advanced tools like ALPRs, drones and real time crime centers more accessible to agencies of all sizes
From managing parking and monitoring street flooding to responding to wildfires and terrorist attacks, RTCCs are helping agencies tackle a wide range of public safety challenges
By leveraging existing resources, collaborating across functions and utilizing cost-effective middleware tools, agencies can create a more cohesive data infrastructure
By giving officers real-time access to video, RTCCs are turning in-progress calls into solved cases and helping agencies close investigations faster and more safely