Real Time Crime Centers: A Proliferating Law Enforcement Practice Without Empirical Justification

• In Event: The Effectiveness of Real Time Crime Centers

Abstract

Real Time Crime Centers (RTCC) are an effort to centralize and coordinate a variety of technologies in a single location to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement. RTCCs are a relatively recent development, but they have rapidly multiplied in the last decade, and now RTCCs exist in numerous cities and counties. RTCCs incorporate many surveillance technologies that criminologists have researched in recent years, such as closed-circuit television cameras and automated license plate readers; however, very little research has examined the effectiveness of RTCCs as a whole. Moreover, the public perception of RTCCs and associated technologies is not widely studied, and RTCCs are typically developed and implemented with little community involvement. This paper examines the origin of RTCCs, reviews the research on the technologies they employ, summarizes the limited research on RTCCs, and identifies gaps in existing research. We also discuss the problem of limited community input, and other critical issues surrounding RTCC. Finally, we provide recommendations regarding the implementation and evaluation of RTCCs and how researchers can partner with law enforcement agencies to address these issues.

Authors

• Jonathan Caswell, Florida State University

• Brian Stults, Florida State University

• Julie Brancale, Florida State University

• Thomas G. Blomberg, Florida State University