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    • New Hackensack Police Center Uses Cutting-Edge Technology to Patrol the City
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    New Hackensack Police Center Uses Cutting-Edge Technology to Patrol the City

    Pabio Posted on

    3 minutes of reading

    HACKENSACK — A room lined with screens broadcasting images from cameras located throughout the city is the new center of the police department’s efforts to fight crime by leveraging cutting-edge technology.

    The Safe Streets Operations Control Center, located in the John Earl Building next to the city police headquarters, is part of the department’s recent efforts to better police the city using location-based data, scanners, license plates, cameras and drones.

    “The cameras don’t go to sleep, they don’t take a break, they operate 24/7 and they are not intrusive,” Police Director Ray Guidetti said. “It’s a great way to improve public safety.”

    The idea for the control center was sparked by a shooting in Carver Park in May 2023.

    Junius “Jeff” Carter, president of the Bergen County NAACP, and community leaders questioned why there were no working cameras in the park to help police solve crime.

    The city is now installing new cameras in Carver Park and other city parks.

    “It’s a beautiful thing. The cameras are a deterrent and, God forbid, if something happens, they will have video of it,” Carter said.

    The initiative is part of the department’s focus on using systems such as crime analysis data, call for service recordings, security camera feeds, license plate readers and real-time tracking of police vehicles to identify hot spots to help officials decide where to station officers and allocate resources.

    The department has also been using drones since October 2023 as first responders to help police respond to calls, with search and rescue missions, documenting accidents and crime scenes, and searching for fleeing or hiding suspects. Drones are now connected to the center and send real-time video to inform public safety decisions.

    In total, around 60 cameras send feeds to the center’s computers. On television screens, officers monitor different areas of the city. If something unusual happens (a large gathering of people in a park or someone running in the middle of a street), the artificial intelligence will bring that location to the attention of an officer.

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    The cameras and technology were purchased with money confiscated by the federal government and the Bergen County District Attorney’s Office, Guidetti said. Eventually, he said, the number of 60 observation points across the city could increase to 200 or 300. Many cameras are in areas with a history of crime or quality of life issues.

    “If there are people hanging around, drinking or gambling, the public will call the police, but when the police arrive, people disperse and then come back,” Guidetti said. “When cameras are positioned, it becomes a deterrent, and we are already seeing that.”

    The City Council recently passed a measure that allows private businesses and residents to notify the police department of the location of their security cameras to help prevent crime.

    “If you are the property manager of a high-rise apartment building or the owner of a fast food restaurant and want to tell us where your cameras are, this can be helpful if we have a crime in the area ” said Guidetti. .

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    Police officers can now turn to privately recorded cameras, including doorbell cameras, to aid investigations if an incident occurs in a location without city-owned cameras.

    The center links with local police departments, regional agencies and national counterterrorism agencies to quickly share information. Flood sensors send information to the center to tell officers when the Hackensack River may flood.

    “This allows us to monitor flooding in real time and show which roads we will need to avoid and which roads we will need to close,” said Chief Mike Antista.

    Detailed maps in the system of potential targets such as city schools, Hackensack University Medical Center or Riverside stores will help officers respond to an active shooter or other emergency, officials said. responsible.

    “This center demonstrates our commitment to keeping Hackensack at the forefront of public safety innovation,” Mayor John Labrosse said in a statement. “We are extremely pleased that the Hackensack Police Department was able to realize this vision and make our city a model of proactive, community-oriented policing.

    Pabio
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