staff was consistently received . It is produced to be quickly read , easily digested , and not overly verbose . Our agency ceased the daily briefings via Teams when we reintegrated our teleworkers but continue to publish the weekly Agency Brief as we have found this to be the most effective way to disseminate timely , single-source information .
RTIC serves as a full-time DOC now and is tasked with creating all incident action plans for the agency by collaboratively working with all affected bureaus / units depending on the type of event . This also ensures a single point of information which helps to avoid any information falling through the cracks .
INTELLIGENCE Historically , information was received or located , analyzed , and turned into intelligence by multiple sources within or agency . Setting up a DOC for COVID-19 while having a high percentage of our agency staff off site teleworking , opened our eyes to the need for a central point of intelligence . By establishing this central point , it would give us the highest probability of not having important intelligence slip through the cracks . The RTIC began this centralization effort by asking all department staff to send any information they may come across related to COVID-19 to them . The RTIC immediately began receiving information from agency staff and when combined with proactive research and information received through teleconference briefings at the state and county level , they were able to create credible intelligence and disseminate it appropriately .
This effort led to a broader desire to have information funneled through RTIC as an information repository to continue to grow the concept of a centralized intelligence point . Once received , the information would be analyzed , research , categorized and distributed as necessary . What we found is a lot of the information being received was duplicative in nature because multiple sources throughout the agency would find or receive it , mine it for parts which applied to their scope of work , and act on it as necessary . By having a centralized repository , that process of it being initially reviewed by the original recipient continues , but it is then passed on to RTIC to allow them to analyze it and determine if more dissemination or agency action is needed .
TECHNOLOGY The RTIC utilizes the Live Earth data analytics and visualization platform , along with accessing all our traffic and campus cameras through Avigilon . Some of the tools used are camera trailers , changeable message sign board trailers with cameras , unmanned aircraft systems ( UAS ), along with many software platforms as well .
This wide range of tools allows our RTIC to be entrepreneurial in their approach to utilization in the most efficient and effective ways possible .
When protests began in Sacramento recently , several mutual aid resources were sent from throughout the region . Resources from EGPD were sent as well and at the time , we were unsure if protests would be occurring in Elk Grove or not . RTIC initiated a Teams meeting and packaged incoming live video feeds from social media , network television and print news organizations , helicopter downlinks , and fixed cameras into a single shareable screen . It would broadcast all that information to our executive staff . We also invited the Sacramento Police Department Real-Time Crime Center and the Sacramento Sheriff ’ s Office to receive the live video stream since we were already mining for the videos and packaging them to share .
After the first protest , we reached a collaborative decision with the involved agencies to share the stream during subsequent protests with agencies who were sending mutual aid resources to assist . This ultimately allowed executive staff from regional agencies to view the live feed videos being streamed to give them the most current and real time situational update at the location their units were assisting . Dispatch centers were also invited to view the stream if they desired as well , which gave them the ability to see what their units were involved in .
The use of fixed traffic cameras , mobile camera trailers , and UAS allowed our agency to respond to protests within our own jurisdiction more efficiently . While robust incident action plans and staffing existed , only a handful of officers from our traffic bureau were visible to protesting groups . We were able to ensure the safety of the protesters when they marched using camera technology and did not have to have officers positioned at all intersections . Through the live feed of the protests from all the incoming cameras , our executive staff and incident commanders were able to watch the protests from their phones , computers , or monitors in their command post without having to physically have eyes on the event .
Our agency is still learning how its RTIC will be used most efficiently moving forward . From what we ’ ve learned so far , it has allowed us to respond in a more efficient and safe way to a variety of calls for service and events such as protests . It also has begun serving as the information and intelligence hub of the agency . Through our desire to leverage all available technology to continue being as communicative as possible with our staff , while responding to calls for service and events as safely as possible , we will continue to reshape how we police in years to come .
WINTER 2020 | CALIFORNIA POLICE CHIEF 19