The Chamblee, Georgia Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) represents a significant step forward in how small and mid-sized cities use technology to strengthen public safety. Located inside the Chamblee Police Department, the new operations center provides officers with real-time visibility into incidents across the city—helping them respond faster, coordinate more effectively, and solve cases more efficiently.
Thanks to Atlanta News First (ANF) for the video coverage highlighting the new facility.
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A Growing City with Big-City Challenges
Chamblee is a diverse and rapidly growing city of approximately 32,000 residents in DeKalb County, part of the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Like many inner-ring suburbs, the city faces public safety challenges that extend beyond local boundaries—vehicle thefts, property crime, and incidents that often cross into neighboring jurisdictions.
While the department operates on a smaller scale than major metro agencies, the Real-Time Crime Center helps bridge that gap. By bringing together live video, automated license plate intelligence, and integrated data systems, officers now have a centralized hub where information can be monitored, analyzed, and shared instantly.
How the RTCC Supports Real-Time Policing
The Chamblee RTCC enhances daily policing operations by providing officers and analysts with a centralized platform for situational awareness and intelligence sharing.
From the center, operators can:
- Monitor live citywide camera feeds
- Receive alerts from automated license plate readers (ALPRs)
- Share intelligence with officers in the field
- Coordinate information with neighboring agencies
This capability allows the department to identify emerging situations faster, prevent crime, improve response times, and increase case clearance rates. In urgent situations, such as locating stolen vehicles or identifying suspect vehicles tied to regional crimes, the RTCC provides immediate operational insight.
Investment in Technology and Public Safety
Construction of the RTCC began in August 2025, transforming existing space within the police department into a purpose-built operations center. The City of Chamblee invested approximately $2 million in construction, technology, and equipment as part of a broader strategy to modernize its public safety capabilities.
The facility officially opened in March 2026, placing Chamblee among the growing number of municipalities across the country implementing real-time policing technology.
Inside the Chamblee RTCC
The operations center integrates advanced technology designed to support both daily monitoring and critical incident response.
Key components include:
- 80 PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras positioned throughout the city
- 80 Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) providing vehicle intelligence
- A 6×2 video wall configuration featuring two 98-inch displays
- A modern control room environment staffed by trained operators 24/7
The RTCC also connects with surrounding jurisdictions, allowing for cross-agency collaboration and real-time data sharing when incidents extend beyond city boundaries.
Designed and Built by Fountainhead Control Rooms
The Chamblee Police Department RTCC was designed and built by Fountainhead Control Rooms, a Georgia-based firm specializing in mission-critical operations center environments.
Fountainhead provided the overall control room design, console layout, video wall integration, and operator workstation configuration, transforming the raw space into an ergonomic command center optimized for continuous operations.
Purpose-built control room environments like this allow agencies to integrate technology, workflows, and operator needs into a single coordinated space designed for 24/7 mission-critical performance.
A Model for Small and Mid-Sized Cities
According to Police Chief Michael Dieppa, the RTCC represents a major investment in the safety of the Chamblee community. The technology allows officers to make faster, better-informed decisions while strengthening collaboration with neighboring agencies such as DeKalb County Police.
For cities of similar size, the Chamblee project demonstrates how a sub-$3 million investment can deliver the kind of real-time intelligence capabilities once limited to much larger metropolitan departments.
With the right planning and technology, even smaller cities can build modern real-time crime centers that dramatically enhance situational awareness and operational coordination.
Planning an RTCC or Operations Center?
Fountainhead Control Rooms specializes in designing and building Real-Time Crime Centers, 911 dispatch centers, and mission-critical operations environments for public safety agencies nationwide.
👉 Explore more RTCC and control room projects:
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Ready to start the conversation about your own RTCC or command center?
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