San Francisco Police Unveil Fully Operational Real‑Time Investigation Center

The state‑of‑the‑art RTIC at 315 Montgomery St., funded in part by a $9.4 million donation from Chris Larsen, consolidates live safety cameras, automated license‑plate readers and drone video through systems from Flock Safety and Peregrine Technologies. Officials report at least 800 arrests linked to the center since its launch, with Mayor Daniel Lurie citing a 30 percent citywide crime decline, violent crime at levels not seen since the 1950s, and car break‑ins at a 22‑year low. SFPD says drones are launched for active incidents rather than routine patrol, and more than 400 license‑plate cameras alert officers when vehicles tied to crimes pass by. The hub supports multi‑agency operations, with the Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department co‑locating for policing, search efforts and disaster response, including cross‑bay coordination during active investigations. Civil‑liberties groups including the EFF and ACLU of Northern California warn the consolidated tools risk a pervasive dragnet and chilled speech, while police leaders pledge strong privacy safeguards.