Data News Staff Report
Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Mayor-elect LaToya Cantrell, local public safety leaders, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and City officials announced the opening of the Real Time Crime Monitoring Center (517 N. Rampart St.) and provided an update on the $40 million Citywide Public Safety Improvement Plan. Announced in January, the plan includes several new citywide technology investments including cameras and license plate readers, which will be monitored in the new, state-of-the-art 24/7 crime monitoring center.
“Public safety continues to be our top priority,” Mayor Landrieu said. “The best way to continue to fight crime is to improve manpower, crime deterrence and our apprehensions with investments in technology and visibility. Our Real Time Crime Center will help us to make better-informed decisions in real-time during an emergency. Our goal is to not only make New Orleans safe, but to also make New Orleans feel safe.”
The over $5 million Real Time Crime Center will act as a 24/7 command center for citywide cameras, license plate readers, and associated technology that can be leveraged by public safety at the local, state and federal levels. The Center will house video technicians who can provide real-time assistance to law enforcement and supply workspace and analytical tools necessary for law enforcement to quickly review video footage.
The center will also be equipped to provide instant intelligence information to the New Orleans Fire Department, New Orleans EMS, and New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP) and their public safety partners. The Center will support the work of incident commanders in the field, providing more information to quickly assess emergency situations and make important decisions about keeping New Orleans safe in real-time.
The City is also expanding its partnership with the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation to allow residents and business to register security cameras on their properties. By voluntarily registering their contact information with NOPD through this site, detectives will know how to reach someone if a crime occurs in the vicinity of their property. Residents and businesses will also have the option to directly connect their exterior, public-facing cameras to the Real Time Crime Center. This partnership with the community will allow public safety officials to expand their reach so they can solve crimes faster. The public is encouraged to visit SafeCamNOLA.com to participate in this opportunity.
New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Chief Michael Harrison said, “The new Real Time Crime Center represents a great opportunity for our department and for the city to engage a range of new tools and technologies in the effort to keep people safe, and to bring criminals to justice. So much of our citywide security plan—including the crime cameras in hot spots and the license plate readers throughout the city—feeds into this central, coordinated effort. This is another step in making the people of New Orleans safer.”
Director of New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Aaron Miller said, “The Real Time Crime Center is part of our continuous effort to protect New Orleans from threats to homeland security and other safety threats. Through the Center, we are able to act based on more information we gather in real-time. We will also be able to communicate better intelligence in real time with our law enforcement on the ground to ensure they are making the best informed decisions possible.”
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