Real time crime centers (RTCCs) have traditionally been associated with crime-fighting and law enforcement. However, as the technology behind these centers evolves, so do their applications. From managing public safety during special events to monitoring street conditions, RTCCs are increasingly supporting a range of initiatives that go beyond traditional crime-fighting.
Here are five ways RTCCs are being creatively used beyond crime fighting.
1. Seal Beach, Calif.: Tackling parking problems with real-time data
Seal Beach, a coastal city in Orange County, Calif., faces significant parking and traffic issues during the summer when its population doubles. To address these challenges, the Seal Beach Police Department launched a pilot program with Flock Safety using Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras at the entrances and exits of beach parking lots for the 2025 season.
The cameras capture license plates, recording arrival times, departure times and length of stay. This real-time data integrates with the city’s parking systems, like citation management, pay-by-plate verification and permit validation, while also feeding into the police dispatch center to aid in investigations, like Amber or Silver Alert searches or confirming a vehicle’s location.
Key benefits:
- Efficient parking management: Real-time, time-stamped data allows officers to easily see which vehicles are in compliance or not, enabling targeted enforcement and reducing blanket citations. The system helps reconcile parking occupancy with payment records, ensuring self-sustaining management.
- Enhanced public safety: Stolen vehicles entering the lot can be flagged before they leave. Additionally, live occupancy data helps supervisors anticipate surges in pedestrian or vehicle traffic, allowing them to pre-stage officers where needed most.
- Support for long-term planning: Accurate occupancy data helps with decisions about seasonal pricing, shuttle services and modeling demand.
“In Seal Beach, parking is more than revenue; it is an essential layer of public-safety architecture,” Seal Beach PD Capt. Nick Nicholas said. “By pairing Flock’s LPR analytics with an integrated parking ecosystem, we aim to keep beaches welcoming, streets clear and officers better informed — all while driving down crime and protecting the quality of life for residents, merchants and visitors.”
2. New Orleans: From flood alerts to Super Bowl management
The New Orleans RTCC, operated under the city’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security, supports a wide range of agencies — including police, fire, EMS and emergency management — making it a central hub for coordinated citywide response.
Everyday uses beyond crime include:
- Street flooding alerts: The RTCC monitors road conditions using an extensive camera network, providing real-time updates that allows emergency teams to close streets before danger escalates.
- Special event safety: The RTCC offers real-time situational awareness for large events like Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and, most recently, Super Bowl LIX, helping agencies coordinate crowd control and emergency response.
“During special events, our State Fire Marshal’s office has used the Bourbon Street cameras to monitor for overcrowding on balconies — enabling early intervention to prevent potential hazards,” said Matt Patin, New Orleans RTCC operations chief and president of the National Real Time Crime Center Association (NRTCCA).
Recent high-impact deployments include:
- Bourbon Street terrorist attack (January 2025): During a deadly attack that claimed 14 lives, the RTCC provided video feeds in real time, helped law enforcement track the suspect’s movements and aided the FBI in constructing a timeline.
- Bayou Blizzard (January 2025): In the city’s first blizzard, the RTCC tracked snow accumulation, enabled timely road closures and supported emergency response to 44 vehicle crashes over the four-day snowstorm.
- Super Bowl LIX (February 2025): The RTCC monitored crowd flow and checkpoints around the Superdome and Convention Center, collaborating with federal and state partners to maintain safety and manage traffic.
- Mardi Gras (February 2025): Cameras helped manage parade routes and French Quarter activity, while the RTCC also partnered with Homeland Security and state police to detect and respond to drone activity in no-fly zones.
3. Spokane County, Wash.: Wildfire response and special event coordination
The Spokane County (Wash.) Sheriff’s Office launched its RTCC in 2023 to centralize real-time data and improve coordination across law enforcement, fire, EMS and emergency management. The center was quickly put to the test, proving essential during natural disasters, large-scale events and behavioral health crises.
Key benefits:
- Wildfire evacuation management: During the 2023 wildfires, the RTCC partnered with Regional Intelligence Group 9 (RIG9) to create an Evacuation Coordination Dashboard. Deputies used mobile devices to enter real-time updates, while RTCC staff monitored conditions and coordinated with field personnel to speed up emergency decision-making.
- Special event monitoring: The RTCC provides situational awareness during parades, fairs and protests, helping agencies anticipate issues, track crowd movements and maintain public safety.
- Crisis response and de-escalation: The RTCC is exploring ways to support mental health response teams. By combining data aggregation platforms with law enforcement and behavioral health units, responders can make better-informed decisions when encountering individuals in crisis.
“The RTCC in Spokane County has become the nerve center and law enforcement intelligence command post for most every public safety incident,” said Lt. Justin Elliott, commander of RIG9 and the RTCC.
4. Scottsdale, Ariz.: Monsoon response
Each summer, monsoon storms roll through Arizona’s Valley of the Sun – bringing flash floods, downed trees, power outages and street closures. For public safety agencies, the impact is immediate and widespread. “RTCCs in Arizona have played an important role in weather situations like this by providing real-time information to first responders,” Chris Henningsen, RTCC manager for Scottsdale PD, said. “This weather causes chaos throughout the streets of the valley.”
Key benefits:
- Rescue coordination: RTCCs help pinpoint areas where drivers ignore flood signage and need to be rescued from submerged vehicles.
- Street-level monitoring: Real-time camera feeds allow RTCC teams to track flooding, reroute traffic and alert crews to dangerous conditions as they develop.
- Utility support: RTCCs assist with locating downed trees, damaged electrical lines and water leaks, enabling faster deployment of public works teams.
5. Smart city solutions: Illegal dumping, traffic management and weather emergencies
Jared Kosina, a former law enforcement officer and RTCC expert, has spent years helping agencies rethink how they use real-time technology. After starting his law enforcement career with the Phoenix (Ariz.) Police Department in 2011 and later transferring to the Salt River Police Department, a tribal agency nestled within Scottsdale, Ariz.’s borders, he served as vice president of training and development for the NRTCCA. Today, he leads JK Strategic Advisory, a firm dedicated to helping agencies modernize their operations.
Kosina believes the biggest shift in RTCC evolution isn’t just about better cameras or AI – it’s about expanding who gets to benefit from the technology.
“The next-generation RTCC isn’t just a crime center,” Kosina said. “It’s a smart city control room in which each pixel, each sensor and each alert is enlisted on behalf of many missions at once.”
That shift has allowed RTCCs to take on a growing list of urban challenges, often in partnership with agencies outside of traditional law enforcement.
Key benefits:
- Illegal dumping enforcement: Motion and object detection software helps identify bulk dumping events, even subtle changes in static environments. When integrated with LPR systems, RTCCs can generate real-time alerts and trace vehicles tied to repeat infractions.
- Traffic flow optimization: RTCCs monitor congestion patterns and adjust signal timing in real time, delivering measurable ROI to Departments of Transportation and improving commute times citywide.
- Crowd and event safety: With people-counting and occupancy analytics, RTCCs support mass gathering safety by monitoring crowd density and enforcing venue capacity limits.
- Weather-related road closures: During flooding, snow or ice events, RTCCs provide early warnings, help transportation agencies close roads proactively and dispatch resources quickly.
Kosina also pointed to one of the most overlooked advantages: funding.
“Departments of transportation, environmental services and code enforcement can qualify for grants tied to blight reduction, hazardous materials or traffic mitigation,” he said. “Those funds can be used to install cameras and sensors that benefit both crime prevention and city operations.”
As RTCCs continue to evolve, they’re proving their value far beyond policing – serving as centralized hubs for cities committed to becoming safer, smarter and more responsive.
