SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Police Department is giving the public an inside look into its latest effort aimed at keeping the community safe — a high-tech Real-Time Operations Center designed to support officers during critical incidents and major events.
Inside the center, officers work around the clock, monitoring live data and coordinating responses in real time to stay one step ahead of unfolding situations. The room serves as a centralized hub, providing resources and support to officers in the field when seconds matter most.
Police Chief Scott Wahl said the center represents a major shift in how the department operates.
“When I first came on the department, when you would respond to a radio call, you were pretty close to being on your own,” Wahl said. “This is taking us from 20th-century policing into the 21st century, helping us be more precise with our efforts and respond much more rapidly.”
Since launching in July, the Real-Time Operations Center has assisted in more than 400 incidents, helping streamline communication and decision-making across the department.
Lt. Kris McAndrew, who oversees the center, says the key is shared awareness.
“We’re all linked up. We’re all talking about the same incident,” Lt. McAndrew said.
Lt. McAndrew walked through how the system operates, showing screens that track staffing levels, incoming radio calls, officer locations, and the status of each call in real time. The center also relies on advanced technology, including license plate readers and other tools that allow officers to deploy resources more efficiently.
In one recent example, Lt. McAndrew said the center helped officers take a suspect into custody just 30 minutes after a call first came in.
From the department leaders’ perspective, the technology is improving safety not only for the public, but for officers responding in the field.
Chief Wahl called the operations center a “game changer,” adding that its potential is just beginning to be realized.
“We’re just scratching the tip of the iceberg,” Wahl said. “I can’t overstate how proud I am to be in this moment, where this organization is moving forward and meeting this challenge.”
Mayor Todd Gloria echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the benefit for residents calling for help.
“When you call, you deserve to have the best police department possible respond to that call,” Gloria said. “This operations center will help make sure we meet that expectation.”
