Police and city officials two years ago today unveiled the department’s $3 million Real Time Crime Center, which features all-seeing live technology nestled in a hub on the fourth floor of police headquarters.

The $3 million center was unveiled Oct. 19, 2021. As of today, according to police, the center has had success in more than 1,000 cases that have included recovered stolen vehicles and guns, felony arrests and finding missing people.

Some of those statistics include:

– Assisted officers on a scene – 340

– Provided vehicle information in investigations – 283

– Provided suspect information in investigations – 385

– Recovered vehicles – 214

– Recovered property – 74

– Recovered guns – 88

– Recovered drugs – 19

– Provided case information – 294

– Located missing person – 15

– Led to arrest – 315

– Assisted other agencies – 44

“Our crime center is one of the leading crime centers that actually assists our officers in real time, during the initial investigation,’’ said Officer Truman Fitzgerald. “Before, most of your crime centers have been an asset after the call or after the case has already begun.”

“What our officers are seeing in the streets, the officers in the crime center are seeing the exact same thing if not a lot more,’’ he said.

The center uses real-time technology as well as data-driven intelligence to increase prevention, apprehension and resolution of crime.

The state-of-the art facility was modeled after best practices of those elsewhere, such as Chicago, Detroit and New York City – all centers visited by Birmingham officials.

When the center opened, police officials touted the technology, which included automated license plate readers – high-speed, computer-controlled camera systems that are typically mounted on utility poles, streetlights, highway overpasses, mobile trailers, or attached to squad cars. ALPRs capture all license plate numbers that come into view, along with the location, date, and time.

The data, which includes photographs of the vehicle and sometimes its driver and passengers, is then uploaded to a central server.

The readers help in every level of crime from stolen vehicles to tracking violent suspects.

Another feature at the time the center opened was new body worn camera technology that allows officers working the crime center to remotely turn on and off body worn cameras.

Fitzgerald said another benefit of the crime center is a civilian analyst who plays a major role in the department’s entire operation.

“With those stats, we’re able to see which areas we need to deploy officers and at which times,’’ he said. “Those analysts are one of the reasons why we’ve been able to provide as much information as we have on the Kia and Hyundai thefts.”

The Real Time Crime Center’s partnership with the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District has played a major factor in the decrease in crime, as well as the department’s response to crime within the public housing communities.

Authorities have previously said they hope to implement an initiative where the public will be able to register their home and/or business surveillance cameras to the Real Time Crime Center’s system. New software will allow those cameras to feed into the center.

Another possible feature will be the Fleet 3 by Axon. Cameras installed in the police cruisers will provide panoramic footage instead of what they do now – which is record in the direction the camera is facing.

Fitzgerald said the department plans to continue to grow partnerships with residents and business.

“The Real Time Crime Center was not put into place to watch or monitor our community members’ daily activities,’’ he said. “Our men and women in crime center are there to protect human life, and protect property, and make sure our officers and detectives have the best resources when responding to calls for service.”