Tucson Police Department Invests in Real-Time Data Hub for Officer Safety

Chad Kasmar, Chief of Police at Tucson Police Department

Chad Kasmar, Chief of Police at Tucson Police Department

Chad Kasmar is the Chief of Police at the Tucson Police Department, overseeing law enforcement operations and community safety initiatives in Tucson, Arizona. His leadership focuses on enhancing public trust, implementing innovative policing strategies and fostering collaborative partnerships to ensure a safer community.

Through this article, Chad Kasmar shares his insights on the Tucson Police Department's shift from TRACC to CSARC, enhancing public safety with advanced technology. CSARC integrates real-time data and video analytics across multiple agencies, improving emergency response coordination. It involves collaboration among city departments, vendors, and community groups to address issues like street racing and retail theft, aiming to streamline operations and bolster community safety.

In recent years, the Tucson Police Department (TPD) has prioritized investing in technology, as well as staff who have advanced data analysis and other skills to make use of these important tools.

It’s really not a choice. With fewer people interested in and committing to long-term careers as police officers, agencies must work more efficiently, embracing technology and making better and more extensive use of non-sworn professional staff. This is how we can best support officers in the field–especially by providing them with information that helps keep them safe.

In 2023, TPD began the process of transitioning fromTRACC to CSARC–Tucson real-time analytical crime center to community safety, awareness and response center–a move that will greatly expand the intelligence available toofficers, firefighters, paramedics, dispatchers, 9-1-1 call takers and alternative responders such as mental health clinicians.

TRACC, which is staffed by TPD sergeants, moved to share physical space with Tucson’s Public Safety Communications Department (PSCD), the 9-1-1 center, several years ago–in part so that TPD personnel could relieve PSCD dispatchers when they went on break.CSARC will allow this system to again be able to be directed out ofTPD headquarters.

CSARC will provide three additional benefits: central access to visual information (often from a higher vantage point than eye level), quicker intelligence access during critical events and better collaboration among Tucson’s multiple first responder agencies.

While TRACC had limited video access–at first, onlycameras from the local electric utility and live news feeds of major events–CSARC will have a far greater ability to provide “eyes on” intelligence from cameras throughout the community. Private entities can opt-in to allow TPD to access their cameras–not to direct or control them, but to view what they’re showing in real time. One application is making sure people have the right to protest (or celebrate) peacefully while keeping a lookout for those in the crowd who may be using the event to damage property, set fires or commit assault. Another application is responding to active attacker scenarios at sensitive sites such as schools, houses of worship and government buildings. TPD’s patrol and emergency management personnel are in touch with school districts and faith leaders to discuss their security concerns and to introduce them to the capabilities of this new system.

CSARC will incorporate technologies such as 360-degree cameras, Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras, Drones as a First Response (DFR), Fotokite (tethered drones) and more.

The ability to push visual information such as suspect photos, vehicle photos and surveillance video to officers’ patrol vehicle laptops and even their portable radios via CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) is another huge benefit of this investment.

CSARC’s capabilities, however, extend beyond photo and video information. With TRACC, dedicated TPD personnel had to look up information for officers in the field. With CSARC, officers, dispatchers and other end users, as well as CSARC personnel, can access information themselves in multiple databases. This becomes especially important as we integrate alternative responders. When a name or address is flagged for violent conduct, that information is immediately available for staff to assess whether this is a call that can safely be addressed without a responding officer, or whether police response–in addition to or in place of, alternative response–is called for.

"Creating CSARC has required extensive cooperation and collaboration between the Tucson Police Department, the Public Safety Communications Department, the Tucson Fire Department, Tucson Water and City IT, as well as vendors Motorola and Axon"

Creating CSARC has required extensive cooperation and collaboration between the Tucson Police Department, the Public Safety Communications Department, the Tucson Fire Department, Tucson Water and City IT, as well as vendors Motorola and Axon. Motorola’s CommandCentral Aware and fūsus by Axon form the backbone of this new system. Not only do they have to “talk” to each other but, for example, Fire has a different CAD system than Police; our Records Management Systems are different as well; and we retrieve and enter information into multiple state and federal databases. Getting all parts to communicate with each other has been a challenge, as is always the case with connecting multiple systems.

Another aspect has been cross-training various personnel. For example, TPD’s analysis staff received HIPAA certification to be able to access certain medical information, while Fire personnel have been getting Terminal Operator Certificate (TOC) certified to be able to access certain law enforcement information.

Business and community groups have also contributed to this effort. Tucson has a downtown TIF, or Tax Increment Financing District, called Rio Nuevo.Concerned about the recent popularity of street racing and street takeovers, the Rio Nuevo Board generously contributed funds to have more cameras on city traffic.These dangerous events spring up like flash mobs, with little advance warning. Being able to tell immediately where an intersection is blocked due to reckless stunt driving is key to formulating a police response that includes safely arresting participants and impounding vehicles.

The Tucson Metro Chamber’s Coalition Against Retail Theft reached out to merchants, encouraging them to provide TPD with access to their surveillance cameras.Much retail theft is organized, involving repeat offenders who are often connected with narcotics and evenviolent activity, so having access to these cameras can speed up the identification and arrest of suspects, as well as connect them to other incidents and other victims.

Making the transition from TRACC to CSARC isa lengthy process, but one that’s going to transform how not just our agency, but also our partner first responder agencies, handle calls. I really appreciate the time and effort that’s been put into this, especially bythe City of Tucson IT Director Chris Mazzarella andDeputy Director Chuck Boyer.Their support continues to be key to this project’s success.