Nearly a year after unveiling its Real Time Crime Center, Irvine police say the $2 million technology hub has become a cornerstone of the city’s crime-fighting efforts, assisting officers on thousands of calls and helping drive a double-digit drop in property and violent crime.

The center, housed inside police headquarters, serves as a centralized command post for more than 1,000 camera feeds across Irvine, including police-owned cameras, those from private partners, license plate readers and video from department-operated drones. A team of two crime specialists, a crime analyst and a drone operator monitors incoming calls for service, watches live footage, pulls vehicle plate information and identifies potential suspects while officers are en route.

“We’re going to make it better and be

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