FREMONT, Calif. (KRON) — The Fremont Police Department unveiled its new Real Time Information Center on Tuesday afternoon.
The 2.45-million-dollar facility was funded by an Organized Retail Theft Prevention grant and has been operational since 2025. It has already been used to support major investigations, including to help quickly locate suspects or recover stolen property.
They are utilizing more than 300 cameras throughout the city, including traffic cameras, community cameras, and Flock Safety cameras.
“It’s really about situational awareness, making sure that we can get eyes on the situation no matter where they are as fast as we possibly can,” said Fremont Police Chief Floyd Mitchell.
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The Fremont Police Department unveiled its new Real Time Information Center on Tuesday afternoon.
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Mitchell says this will allow his staff to be more informed and have a view of the call before they arrive on scene.
The analyst who reviews the cameras can make adjustments before police arrive.
“They can communicate what they see on camera to the officers prior to them getting there,” said Mitchell. “So if it’s a large melee or something like that the dispatcher can then dispatch more officers before the officer gets there. If it’s a house on fire or something like that, we know we can dispatch the appropriate resources.”
Mayor Raj Salwan believes this will help reduce crime.
“A safe city is foundation for everything else,” Salwan said. “Safe neighborhoods, safe schools, safe parks, safe businesses and a strong quality of life for all of our residents.”
Salwan wants the city to be on the cutting edge.
“The center also reflects the kind of city Fremont is, we are a city that believes in innovation, we are a city that solves problems, and we are a city that does not wait for the future, we help build it,” said Salwan.
But with advancements in technology come concerns. One is privacy. The cameras are concentrated in high traffic areas and are less in residential areas.
Mitchell says privacy and transparency are both imperative.
“These cameras are accessed to us,” said Mitchell about who can see the camera data. “Privacy is job one here. We want to make sure we’re protecting people’s privacy; we’re following California state law in regard to who has access to our flock cameras and things like that, so believe me, privacy is important to all of us.”
The center isn’t staffed 24 hours a day just yet. But Fremont police hope to add more staffing soon.