Seattle’s Real Time Crime Center is increasing the odds that crime victims will receive justice. According to a new data analysis by the Seattle Police Department, police officers and detectives are three times more likely to arrest the offender when they work with RTCC analysts. RTCC analysts respond to 911 calls, providing real-time investigative support for crimes ranging from murder to stolen cars.
SPD analyzed 220,000 911 responses over the nine-month period between the launch of the RTCC and the end of February 2026. This finding — from SPD’s Performance Analytics & Research group –underscores the department’s commitment to transparency, continuous improvement, and evidence-based policing. The department launched the RTCC in May 2025 to help police respond more effectively to emergency calls.
Last month, Chief Shon Barnes credited the RTCC’s technology and professional analysts with helping detectives make arrests in 53% of last year’s homicide cases, despite its launch last May. (See his full presentation on the Seattle Channel.)
Additionally, SPD’s ongoing analysis shows the RTCC is helping victims of color. According to a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report, “Black Americans are 12 times as likely as White Americans to die by firearm homicide.” Technology employed by the RTCC, specifically CCTV cameras, is deliberately concentrated in areas affected by violent crime.
Staffed 19 hours per day seven days a week, the RTCC is a response coordination hub that combines technology with real-time analysis to improve public safety outcomes. RTCC assistance assures both faster and more precise first responses, providing real-time guidance to responders and securing critical evidence for the investigation of violent crimes.
RTCC helps SPD find assault offender
On February 24, for instance, the RTCC was used to check on the safety of a person said to be suffering from an overdose and an analyst observed a man near the incident. The analyst saw that the man’s clothing matched those of a suspect from an assault at a bar in Belltown two weeks prior. The analyst acted immediately, alerting patrol cars. Within one hour, officers confirmed the information and arrested the man – bringing justice to the victim, eliminating the need to investigate innocent people, and preventing future harm to the community
The RTCC operates under a 2-year pilot project authorization, with an independent evaluation managed by the Office of Inspector General and its contract evaluators at the University of Pennsylvania. For more information, here is the City’s one-page overview.