The city of aurora police department (APD) is requesting funds to implement a real-time crime center (RTCC)

The City of Aurora Police Department (APD) received a $499,040 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (CFDA 16.738). The purpose of the grant is to enable APD to implement a Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) to integrate and monitor various technology systems, enhancing the department's efficiency, situational awareness, and decision-making capabilities. This is expected to improve police response, crime-solving, and overall safety for officers and the community, thereby reducing violent crime. The funding will support the hiring of contract personnel to operate the RTCC and expand APD's existing mesh camera network. The award period is from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2026.

In research of rtccs across the country, APD is one the few departments of its size, a city population of 386,000 (U.S. Census bureau, 2020) and 744 sworn officers, to not have an RTCC. The purpose of the APD RTCC will be to integrate and monitor disparate technology systems in a centralized location to enhance the APD's efficiency, situational awareness, and decision-making speed. This results in improved police response and crime-solving capabilities, and an increased overall safety for officers and the community, therefore a reduction of violent crime. APD is building this RTCC from the ground up and has many activities planned that will utilize a variety of funding sources. The funding would allow the hiring of contract personnel to run the RTCC and expanding APD's mesh camera network.