The Portsmouth Police Department in Virginia becomes the next police agency to upgrade their crime-solving and emergency response capabilities. Chief Stephen Jenkins believes that by upgrading their camera technology along with integrating systems like gunshot detection software and license plate readers into their Fusus Real Time Crime Center (RTC3) platform, their efforts can go a long way in deterring crime and reducing response times.
Agencies across the country are feeling the impact of Fusus in their communities and Portsmouth is hoping to replicate that success in their own city. The technology-agnostic Fusus system gives the department the capability to route their Flock Safety automatic license plate readers and gunshot detection system and other relevant police technology onto a single, interactive pane of glass. With all of their software and hardware working together, they’re looking to accelerate their efficiency and response times in an accurate, but simplified way that gives them access to all of their tools and resources at once and in real-time.
In the coming months, similar to agencies like Winston-Salem, Portsmouth is looking to have a standing and staffed Real Time Crime Center to pair with their powerful Fusus platform.
He [Chief Jenkins] also called the technology a “force multiplier” at a time when the department is struggling with staffing shortages. He said the software will help officers more accurately detect when and where crime is occurring, improve response times and monitor throughout the city during special events.
The combination of public cameras, police technology, and private cameras are expected to be a crime deterrent and an enhancement to the department’s public safety goals. This includes a Fusus Community Connect program that will allow residents and business owners to register their cameras into the system to be used in the event of a critical incident or an emergency on an explicit permission basis.
As seen through other use cases, the RTC3 will give Portsmouth officers the ability to respond to crimes immediately, obtain actionable evidence, and be readily equipped to respond to events of any nature in real-time.
In a time where community policing is of the utmost importance, Portsmouth is adding another layer of public safety that not only protects the community, but allows for the community to play a significant role in how it’s done. Technology and policing should work as partners as society moves forward and Portsmouth Police Department is looking to Fusus to foster massive results and create an even safer Portsmouth community like those they’ve seen in other cities.
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