VACAVILLE, Calif. — The Vacaville Police Department has unveiled a new Real Time Intelligence Center, a technology-driven hub designed to improve emergency response and crack down on organized retail theft, FOX 40 reported.
The facility was funded by a $4.4 million state grant.The center uses drones, surveillance cameras and advanced communications to provide officers with real time situational awareness before they even arrive at a scene.
“We can look at those cameras in real time and make better decisions — who’s committing the crime, which direction they’re traveling, what car they’re involved in, all before the dispatcher enters the call for service,” Vacaville Chief of Police Chris Polen told FOX 40. “Real time policing is the future.”
When a 911 call is received, a drone operator can immediately deploy a drone to the GPS location of the caller. The realtime operations team monitors the scene and relays information to responding officers, improving both speed and accuracy.
Cameras have also been strategically placed at intersections near major shopping centers.
“We’re on scene 50% of the time faster than the field units,” said Police Services Manager Nikki Bell.
Chief Polen said officer safety is another key benefit of the center.
“We lost an officer in July of 2024, and we are always looking for ways to make our staff safer,” he said.
Mayor John Carli, a former police chief, said the project has been in development since 2017 and serves as a warning to would-be offenders.
“If you come to Vacaville, we’re going to catch you,” Carli said. “This is not a place where you can conduct crime and get away with it.”
The department plans to seek additional funding to eventually staff the center 24/7, according to the report.
