NRTCCA Celebrates it’s 3rd Anniversary!

We’re thrilled to mark our 3rd anniversary, remembering our humble
beginnings on March 17, 2022. In under three years, we’ve grown from
100 Real Time Centers to over 700 nationwide and have welcomed nearly
1,400 members. Our conferences have soared from 15 sponsors and 150
attendees in Elk Grove, CA, to over 60 sponsors and nearly 1,000
attendees in Scottsdale, AZ thanks to all of your support.

We’d like to take a moment and give special thanks to our founding
agencies—Elk Grove PD (CA), Scottsdale PD (AZ), New Orleans PD (LA),
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FL), and Fort Worth PD (TX)—and to
our visionaries (Chris Henningsen, Nikki North, Jamie Hudson, Dalton
Webb, and Ross Bourgeois) whose dedication laid the groundwork for our
success.

Above all, thank you to every member for helping shape RTCCs into one
of the nation’s premier public safety professions. Here’s to many more
years of growth and innovation!

Get Ready for the 2025 NRTCCA!

Crisis and Celebration: The New Orleans RTCC’s response to the first 65 days of 2025

By Matt Patin, Operations Chief – New Orleans RTCC, NRTCCA President

The Real-Time Crime Center in New Orleans plays a crucial role in ensuring public safety, intelligence gathering, and effective response to critical incidents. In the first 65 days of 2025, New Orleans faced several high-profile incidents and events including the Bourbon Street terrorist attack, a 100-year blizzard, the Super Bowl, and Mardi Gras. These back-to-back events tested the capabilities of the RTCC, highlighting its importance in modern policing and its ability to handle large-scale emergencies and managing planned events.

On January 1, 2025, a terrorist attack on Bourbon Street resulted in 14 casualties and an additional 57 injured. The lone attacker drove his electric truck on a sidewalk to bypass a police car that was parked at the foot of Bourbon Street. He then drove down 3 blocks of Bourbon Street at a high rate of speed striking several people before crashing into a piece of construction equipment. Following the crash, he fired upon local law enforcement officers who returned fire neutralizing the subject. Live IED’s were found on Bourbon Street that were placed prior to the vehicular assault that never detonated, presumably because the terrorist was killed before he had the chance to carry out the full attack.

RTCC Response to Terrorist Attack:

• Real Time Information Sharing: The RTCC received video feeds from multiple cameras along Bourbon Street, providing real time intelligence on the movements of the attacker. The network of cameras was also used to direct first responders to those in need of medical attention.
• Collaboration with Federal and State Agencies: The RTCC worked closely with federal and state agencies, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, ATF, ICE and Louisiana State Police to assess the scope of the attack to include movements prior to, during, and after the attack. Several terabytes of relevant video footage were turned over to our federal and state partners.
• Constructing a Timeline: RTCC analysts were able to assist the FBI in constructing a timeline of the attacker’s activities using our network of cameras and LPRs. Images from the RTCC were shared publicly by the FBI which show the terrorist placing ice-chest with IEDs along Bourbon Street before returning to his vehicle to initiate the vehicular assault.

On January 21, 2025, the National Weather Service issued its first ever blizzard warning for Louisiana. Over 10” of snow was recorded in New Orleans in what locals dubbed “The Bayou Blizzard” which tied the previous snow record set in 1895. The snow was welcomed by a somber city still mourning those lost on Bourbon Street. The RTCC, which takes a holistic approach to public safety by supporting Police, Fire, EMS and Emergency Management, has a procedure in place to monitor and report street flooding. That plan was modified to assist our partners in Emergency Management and their response to the blizzard.

RTCC Response to Bayou Blizzard:

• Monitoring of Street Conditions: The RTCC’s network of public safety cameras was used to monitor the accumulation of snow on streets. Each hour, a log was sent to Emergency Management and the Department of Public Works noting the estimated accumulation totals of snow on roadways throughout the City. This data was used when making determinations to close roadways once conditions worsened. A total of 86 intersections were reported by the RTCC with significant snow cover.
• Vehicle Accident Cases Worked: Over the 4-day period where the roadways were snow covered, the RTCC assisted in 44 motor vehicle crashes in locations where RTCC cameras are located.

The Super Bowl, held on February 9, 2025, drew thousands of visitors to New Orleans with heightened security measures in place due to the large crowds and prior terrorist event that recently occurred.

RTCC’s role in the Super Bowl:

• Crowd Monitoring: RTCC analysts used cameras to monitor large crowds in the Entertainment District, which includes the French Quarter, Superdome and Convention Center. As calls for service came out in the monitored areas, our analysts were able to provide real time information to responding units from various agencies.
• Checkpoint Monitoring: Following the January 1 attack, a hard traffic closure limiting vehicle traffic entering the French Quarter was enacted. Manned checkpoints were set up to manage vehicular traffic, with certain intersections designated for emergency vehicles only. Our analyst provided “Eyes in the Sky” at these checkpoints and monitored the officers working these intersections.
• Intelligence Sharing: The RTCC became an intelligence hub during Super Bowl week. Our analyst worked alongside members of the LSP Fusion Center, FBI, and HSI. Additionally, our analysts were embedded within the City’s Emergency Operations Center, the FBI Joint Operations Center, and the NFL Command Post.

Coordination between the RTCC, our partner agencies and the NFL ensured a coordinated response to incidents as they occurred in real time.

Mardi Gras, one of the largest and most celebrated events in New Orleans, takes place in February and draws over 1 million people to the streets for parades and festivities. The scale of the event, which consists of 32 parades over a 12-day period, presents unique challenges for law enforcement in terms of public safety, crime prevention and incident response. The RTCC hosts several agencies during the Carnival season to ensure a safe and enjoyable Mardi Gras for locals and tourist alike.

Agencies such as the Louisiana State Police Fusion Center, FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations were embedded with our analyst in the RTCC.

RTCC’s Role for Mardi Gras:

• Parade Route Monitoring: The Mardi Gras parade route is over 3 miles long and is s split in half (Uptown and Downtown) with a dedicated analyst monitoring each part of the parade. As incidents occur along the route, the RTCC analyst provide real time intelligence to officers assigned along the route.
• French Quarter Monitoring: In addition to dedicated analyst along the parade routes, analyst were assigned to monitor the French Quarter camera network. As calls came out, our staff was able to monitor developing situations in real time and provide directions to responding police and EMS units based on pedestrian congestion on the roadways.
• Drone Detection and Mitigation: With the attainment of a SEAR 1 rating for Mardi Gras, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction over the parade route and entertainment district. Our partners from the Louisiana State Police and HSI stood up “Drone Air Control” at the RTCC and dispatched ground teams to drone pilots in the restricted areas.
• NOPD Special Event Recorders: The Special Events unit of the New Orleans Police Department worked out of the RTCC for the duration of the Carnival season. This unit monitors parade movements and incidents along the parade route. Their job is to maintain the official record of each parade, noting both successes and areas that need improvement in upcoming years. Prior to building the RTCC, recorders were deployed in a vehicle in the front of each parade. Now, recorders for all parades are able to work in one space and monitor parades on camera and radio.

The New Orleans Real Time Crime Center proved essential in key events throughout early 2025. By leveraging advanced technologies, it significantly bolstered the response efforts of our public safety partners during both unexpected incidents and planned events. As a city that hosts special events year-round, the RTCC has firmly established itself as a cornerstone in enhancing public safety across New Orleans.

Need Help or Have a Question?

If you need help or have a question about NRTCCA or real time crime centers, please feel free reach out to us at Info@nrtcca.org or by phone at (602) 341-3672 Mon-Fri 9:00 am- 5:00 pm PST.

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