Police Department Unveils Real-Time Information Center

Picture this scenario: a truck is stolen from a convenience store. The suspected thief hits two other vehicles and abandons the stolen truck before being joined by an accomplice. The duo changes clothes in a restaurant and flees to a light-rail station.

Police detectives catch the whole sequence on video, follow the duo’s movements with a helicopter and safely apprehend the suspects.

This is a real scenario that started in Glen Burnie during August 2024. The arrests were made possible thanks to the new Anne Arundel County Real-Time Information Center (RTIC) in Millersville. The Anne Arundel County Police Department tested the technology last summer and unveiled it to the public during a ceremony yesterday.

“Essentially, the Real-Time Information Center is a consolidated state-of-the-art data hub under one roof where detectives and analysts examine information from a variety of sources to enhance crime detection, help solve crimes and conduct predictive analysis to better position us to prevent crimes before they occur,” said Anne Arundel County Chief of Police Amal Awad.

The 1,300-square-foot, $1.5 million center includes 13 workstations with 27-inch desktop monitors and a 24-by-4.5-foot LED video wall that can display up to 12 inputs simultaneously. This public safety hub was funded in the county’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget, with help from state and federal grants.

The RTIC uses situational awareness platforms, CCTV and license plate readers, and data analytics to monitor incidents in real-time.

Awad and her team also shared details on a RTIC program called Community Connect that will allow residents and businesses to share security footage.

She emphasized that the program will protect the privacy of participants.

“The police department will never have access to live residential video camera feeds, only historical video provided by Community Connect-registered participants,” Awad said.

Awad also said that the technology supplements, not replaces, the need for officers.

County Executive Steuart Pittman praised Awad for bringing the idea to him two years ago. The RTIC should protect citizens and officers in the line of duty.

“We invested in the new Real-Time Information Center because we knew it would be a game-changer for public safety in Anne Arundel County,” Pittman said. “Equipping first responders with real-time data and technology helps save lives by giving our first responders the tools they need to act faster and more effectively.”

Learn more about the program by visiting www.connectannearundel.org or www.aacounty.org/rtic.