According to the department, this "first-in-region public safety and data operations hub" will provide up-to-the-minute information to the department and is funded by a $4.4 million grant from the California Board of State and Community Corrections to reduce retail theft.
"The RTIC is about awareness, transparency, and delivering the right information to the right people at the right time," said Chief of Police Chris Polen. "It's not just about catching bad guys — it's about making better, safer decisions for everyone. We are a quality-of-life policing city, not necessarily a crime city. This center had to reflect that mission."
A press release said the RTIC will be aimed at supporting more than just the police department.
"In addition to public safety and patrol support, the RTIC is designed as a multidisciplinary model to ensure real-time intelligence serves all departments and partner agencies involved in protecting and supporting Vacaville's residents," the release read.
The center will be integrated with dispatch and criminal databases, according to the release, supporting calls and incidents while in progress and "live access to public safety camera feeds to support real-time response decision-making." The department will share this information with other regional law enforcement agencies and will also use the system for emergency management and firefighting support.
The center will also include a drone that launches from the roof of the police department, allowing the department to see an incident before officers arrive. The RTIC will provide the city with a tremendous amount of information, according to a 2023 Vacaville City Council staff report on the issue.
"An RTIC can monitor data from various sources, such as surveillance cameras, license plate readers, and social media, to detect suspicious activities in real time," the report reads. "By monitoring patterns and anomalies in the data, the RTIC can alert law enforcement and retailers to potential crime activities before or as they are happening."
The fourth amendment of the United States Constitution protects those in the United States from unreasonable search and seizure, which applies to video surveillance according to a 1989 document from the Department of Justice. In 2018, the United States Supreme Court's decision in Carpenter V. United States found that law enforcement must obtain a warrant before accessing someone's cell phone location history.
"Law enforcement officers should recognize situations in which video surveillance intrudes into an individual's reasonable expectation of privacy and should fulfill all the legally mandated procedures to ensure the admissibility of the resulting evidence," according to the Department of Justice.
"All video and data access is governed by policy and used only in connection with active calls for service or lawful investigations," the release from the department reads.
In a video released online, Polen called the new facility a "reactionary center."
'If you call the police department, we'll activate the cameras that we need to see what is happening, we are not proactively looking at cameras to see what we can find," he said.
On Tuesday July 30, the department will host a Community Open House from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, where residents can speak with police about the new center and see it in person.
Polen said the department applied for the grant about 18 months ago.
"Our businesses are going to have more trust and it's going to enhance the way we serve our community," he said. "We're going to integrate all of the technology we have in our police department into one center— we just become more efficient with the information that we have."
Last year, when he was named Chief, Polen expressed excitement about the department's technological advancements, specifically mentioning this center.
"I am especially excited about the strides we are making in technology with the new Real Time Information Center that will be activated in the early part of next year," he said in December. "This new technology along with our well-trained police staff and the support of our esteemed community will continue to make Vacaville a safe place to live."
Mayor John Carli, former Vacaville Chief of Police, also applauded the department.
"This facility reflects Vacaville's commitment to innovation and proactive public safety," said Carli. "As a former chief of police, I understand how this technology gives officers a strategic advantage. It's a responsible, forward-looking use of public resources to protect both the community and our officers."
© 2025 The Reporter, Vacaville, Calif. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
