New Eye In The Sky Is Not “Big Brother”

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 it helped officers with an estimated 200 incidents, solving crimes or de-escalating situations prior to officers’ arrival on-scene.

The police department unveiled RTIC to the public during a ceremony on February 4.

“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.

This real-time access is vital during active assailant events, violent crimes and other emergencies.

Awad emphasized that the program will protect the privacy of participants. If a crime occurs nearby, registered residents may be asked to share relevant footage that the RTIC can review. The police department will never have live access to residential camera feeds.

“We know there may be some concerns around privacy,” Awad said. “We want you to know the RTIC is not big brother. We understand the responsibility that comes with this new technology, and we’re committed to maintaining transparency and safeguarding individual rights.”

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

For bringing the vision to life, Awad credited the RTIC commander, Lieutenant Brian Carney, and Emily Meadows, a public safety portfolio manager.

“They developed the concept, they built the RTIC team and brought to life what you see here today with their forward thinking and creativity — innovation truly in action,” Awad said.

Councilman Pete Smith has advocated for community cameras since 2015, when he visited Baltimore to see police personnel operate the CitiWatch program.

“I would hire 400 police officers today if I could, but recruitment is hard,” Smith said, adding that the RTIC will make perpetrators think twice before committing a crime in Anne Arundel County.

Other jurisdictions have robust surveillance programs, like Axon Fusus, and Anne Arundel County officials hope to partner with them when possible.

County Executive Steuart Pittman praised Awad for bringing the idea to him two years ago.

“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.