The Phoenix Police Department is excited to announce the launch of the Real Time Operation Center (RTOC) in the Cactus Park Precinct.
The RTOC went fully operational in January 2024 and leverages the use of technology to fight crime in a designated area of the precinct. The 27th Avenue corridor was identified as an area that would benefit from this project. The goal behind the RTOC is to enhance the safety of the area and create a better quality of life for the residents.
"After over two years of hard work and coordination from the Police Department, my office, and the Community, I'm proud to say the Real Time Operation Center has officially opened and already providing positive results", said Councilwoman Betty Guardado. "From license plate readers to state-of-the-art cameras and gunshot detection this facility is already making the 27th Avenue Corridor safer."
This project began in 2022 when the City Council approved the pilot project to address community safety through a multidepartment, collaborative manner using technology as well as community-based resources. The RTOC is the component that police have brought to this project.
“I am very excited that the Real Time Operation Center is now up and running in our Cactus Park Precinct. Thanks to the newly deployed state-of-the-art technology, our hard-working police officers will be able to better support one another on the front lines, in turn improving our overall response to community needs and providing the best service to Phoenicians," said Mayor Kate Gallego.
A variety of technological resources have been added to the area which feed information to the RTOC to assist with the efforts to reduce violent crime. The technology includes gunshot detection, mounted cameras and license plate readers.
“This is a tremendous investment in our community. I'm excited about this technology and its ability to keep our community safer in pursuit of our mission to prevent and control crime and ultimately provide justice to victims," said Interim Phoenix Police Chief Michael Sullivan.
The center is monitored by police personnel who can then give real time information to the officers working the streets. Police assistants, officers and supervisors are working in the RTOC monitoring and feeding the intel.
“This is designed to immediately support patrol officers responding to calls," said Lieutenant Scott Cain, resource lieutenant in the Cactus Park Precinct.
“I cannot express enough my excitement for the official opening of the Real Time Operation Center," said Councilwoman Ann O'Brien. “Ever since touring a neighboring city's RTOC and hearing about the crimes they've been able to solve with this technology, I knew we had to bring it here to Phoenix. I'm thankful to city staff and the police department for their work to get the 27th Avenue Crime Prevention Corridor up and running. This is one more step to creating a safer Phoenix."
The gunshot detection equipment has led to hundreds of shell casings being recovered which help solve crimes. When a gunshot is detected, the equipment can triangulate where the gun was fired at within five millimeters. This information is reviewed by the police assistants in the RTOC and then shared with investigators.
License plate readers have been used to identify suspects in violent crimes. The RTOC will get alerts for the license plate readers if a stolen vehicle has traveled by one of the readers.
The cameras have been a great tool for monitoring crimes in progress.
“On several occasions when the officers are going to where the initial call is coming from, they're not aware of the suspect that might be in the area. The staff has been able to guide the officers directly to the suspects who could be blocks away from where the incident occurred," Cain said.
The 27th Avenue Corridor and the Cactus Park Precinct is not the only area being focused on in this safety project; City Council also approved funding for an RTOC in the Desert Horizon Precinct, targeting Hatcher Road in west Sunnyslope. The RTOC in that precinct is currently being built and will hopefully be operational within the next year.
"The opening of the Real Time Operations Center has been in the works for years and is just one piece of the puzzle in improving safety along the 27th Avenue Corridor," said Councilwoman Laura Pastor. "This has been a multi-department approach that utilizes technology and community resources to identify crime and blight in the area."
To learn more about the collaborative efforts between all city departments involved please visit the Safe Phoenix Corridor website.
