New police center in Dubuque uses real-time city cameras

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – Dubuque Police will use a new Precision Policing Center (PPC) to analyze real-time data from the city’s approximately 1,300 surveillance cameras.

“This allows us to respond more quickly and in a more targeted manner using a resource that is very specific and supports everyone,” said Dubuque Police Chief Jeremy Jensen.

Five civilians will man the center and provide the latest information to officers on site. The PPC also aims to achieve the following:

Improve situational awareness by giving officers and command staff a comprehensive overview of current incidents
Proactively prevent crime by deploying officers where they are needed most after identifying criminal activity patterns and trends
Support investigations by collecting and analyzing evidence
Increase officer safety by providing real-time information and situational awareness during operations

According to Jensen, the PPC is a “force multiplier” that helps the department maximize its forces since the Dubuque Police Department is made up of 20 sworn officers who are not fully staffed.

“You can go out and be cops on the street and do what I need to do and not have to come in and look into cameras and do that and follow up on it,” Jensen said.

Police will also use data collected by the city’s 22 automatic license plate readers located on major highways.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa has concerns about the way local governments store the data.

“This creates a mountain of data and the people associated with these license plates and cars,” said Pete McRoberts, policy director for the ACLU of Iowa. “The vast majority of them have done nothing wrong, so it’s important that safeguards are in place to ensure the data itself is protected.”

The goal is to have the center operational by January 1st. To fully staff the PPC, the Dubuque Police Department is hiring three technicians, a crime analyst and a criminal computer forensics position. Depending on the position and experience, hourly rates for these roles range from $24.33 to $46.28.

“This is kind of cutting edge. I don’t know of any other center like this in Iowa,” Jensen said. “They’re starting to pop up everywhere, so I’m sure there will be one soon, but no one has the infrastructure that we have for it.”

Five sworn police positions will be eliminated to accommodate PPC roles. According to city documents, “The creation of five (5) sworn civilian positions will not have a major budgetary impact with the elimination of five (5) sworn civilian positions.”

A computer lab at the Dubuque Law Enforcement Center is being converted for the PPC.

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