The Yonkers police department in New York, US has opened its new AWARE Crime Control Center, a technology-enhanced room developed in partnership with Motorola Solutions, that fuses real-time video from safety cameras with other critical data and geospatial mapping.

The new command center

According to the police department, the AWARE center will allow Yonkers officers to respond more efficiently to everyday events and emergencies.

The center gives first responders, from 9-1-1 dispatchers to command staff, a single, consolidated view of an incident as it unfolds. It addresses common challenges presented by siloed data and disconnected back-end systems that can hinder emergency response.

The following now or will feed information into the Motorola Solutions AWARE center:

• Body-worn camera systems, which capture critical evidence and increase transparency
• Computer-aided dispatch, incident awareness and mapping, field reporting and evidence management software, which enables effective workflow management from the initial 9-1-1 call to case closure
• The CityProtect portal, which allows community members to submit anonymous tips, view crime mapping and create non-emergency online reports
• License plate readers, which help identify stolen vehicles or those associated with criminal activity
• Yonkers’ network of safety cameras, which help identify unusual activity as it unfolds
• Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are part of the Yonkers police drone-as-first-responder pilot (DFR) program

“Yonkers Police Department has long been an early adopter of public safety technology,” said Dave White, Vice President, Motorola Solutions. “It has been a privilege to work with them to introduce technology solutions that increase community engagement, improve safety and support their mission to protect the lives and property of residents and visitors.”

Protecting the community

“We are committed to making sure our Yonkers police has all of the necessary tools to lower crime and enhance the quality of life for our residents,” said Yonkers Mayor, Mike Spano. “The opening of the AWARE center is yet another example of our investment in city safety and commitment to innovation, collaboration and transparency with and on behalf of the community.”

“This opening marks a pivotal milestone for our department, one that would not have been possible without the support of our administration,” said Police Commissioner Chris Sapienza. “Time is of the essence in any emergency. Our new AWARE center brings together critical information from across our community and public safety systems, so that our incident managers and officers in the field know what’s happening and can respond appropriately.”