SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office has opened a new center to help keep the community safe.
The Real Time Crime Center will use new technology to track data and help give officers in the field a better understanding of crimes they are responding to.
“It’s like having 50-plus cop cars sitting on a corner,” said Sheriff John Nowels.
District 4 County Commissioner expressed excitement over how the center will benefit residents.
“This center will enhance the safety of our residents by leveraging cutting edge technology and to prevent and respond to crime more effectively,” she said.
The center will use data like 9-1-1 calls, sheriff cameras, private security cameras and license plate readers to help create a comprehensive report of the crime happening.
“We can come in and assist both dispatch and patrol by adding extra information and have the ability to stop and research,” said Katie Johnston, Real Time Crime Center Tactical Analyst.
The center officially opened on Monday, but some of the technology has been in use since January 2023.
Since the technology was first in use, the center has recovered 135 stolen cars and found 11 missing people.
SCSO has also been able to use the center to respond to threats.
“Within the last two weeks, we had an instance where we had yet another robo-call into 9-1-1 about a school shooting at a Valley high school. But, due to the fact that we had an operator in the Real Time Crime Center, that operator was able to immediately begin researching the call and was able to determine it was a hoax,” said Sheriff Nowels.
Some have expressed concerns about the increased surveillance’s impact on privacy.
“What is it being used for? When is it being used? What are we going to do with this and having a mechanism for what happens if it isn’t used appropriately,” said Brennan Schreibman, Vice Chair of Spokane Human Rights Commission.
Sheriff Nowels said there are policies in place to ensure people’s right to privacy is protected.
“We have very well-established policies that are within accepted guidelines of retention of data. It is important for the public to know we’re not just sitting here observing stuff,” he said.
The goal of the center, said Sheriff Nowels, is to deliver the most professional law enforcement services with cutting edge technology.
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