NLRPD establishes Real Time Crime Center in partnership with LRPD

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — The North Little Rock Police Department (NLRPD) is following the example of the Little Rock Police Department and setting up a Real Time Crime Center, a system with camera connections to solve crimes more efficiently.

The NLRPD has been preparing, planning and working on the system for about a year and now views it as an opportunity to utilize the technology despite the officer shortage.

The NLRPD says this approach, similar to the Real Time Crime Center in Little Rock, means homeowners can register their cameras with the center, giving police a contact they can use if a crime occurs near them.

This opens up the opportunity for officers to ask camera owners to review their cameras and, if they are willing, send them footage. This is not limited to private cameras, however. Businesses can also purchase a special camera that is connected to the control center, so that a live feed of their system can be used in the event of a crime. Footage from individuals and businesses is sent to responding officers during the incident they are tracking.

“This allows us to relay information pretty quickly. If something happens in their town, they can send us a message pretty quickly and we can relay that information to our officers on the street and then we can give them the information as well and they can relay that information to their patrol officers, especially because we are so close together and only connected by a couple of bridges and of course what happens here can happen there and vice versa,” says Sergeant Gary Jones.

Patrick Thessing, NLR police chief, says one of the main goals of the centre is not only to solve serious crimes, but also to solve smaller crimes, such as the recent copper thefts the city has faced. He says this has been successful so far.

“It's really cool to see us succeed with this right away, and the partnership with Little Rock is going to have great potential. We work closely together anyway, but criminals are everywhere, and so this partnership and the opportunity to help there, and them here, is just great, and these guys here are really doing a great job,” says Thessing.

Currently, two officers operate the system in North Little Rock, but Jones says as they become more familiar with the system, they will train other officers on how to use the center as well.

To learn more about the Real Time Crime Center or to register your cameras, visit connectnorthlittlerock.org.