Santa Monica police announced Tuesday the opening of an analytical real-time operations center designed to improve how officers prevent, respond to, and investigate crime by integrating multiple data and surveillance systems into a single platform.
The Santa Monica Police Department said the SMART Center brings together tools such as the city’s camera network, Live 911 capabilities, drone response units, and video analytics to provide personnel with real-time situational awareness during incidents.
The system is intended to help officers monitor unfolding events, coordinate responses and make faster operational decisions in the field.
Chief Darrick Jacob said the center represents an evolution in public safety operations, allowing the department to better coordinate responses and track crime patterns while improving efficiency, accountability, and support for officers in the field.
”This is a significant step forward in how we deliver public safety,” Jacob said. ”The SMART Center allows us to operate with greater precision, coordinate in real time, and proactively address crime trends while maintaining our commitment to transparency and accountability.”
Police said the system will also be used to address organized retail theft affecting commercial areas.
Mayor Caroline Torosis said the SMART Center will provide officers with real-time tools to help keep Santa Monica’s streets safe, which she called the foundation of the city’s comeback.
“The new businesses opening, the visitors returning, the investments flowing back into our corridors, all of it depends on people feeling safe here,” Torosis said. ”The SMART Center gives our officers the real-time tools and information they need to deliver on that promise.”
Police said connecting with regional information-sharing systems will help the department identify repeat suspects, track activity across jurisdictions, and coordinate with partner agencies.
The SMART Center also supports real-time monitoring and investigations, including drone deployment and the consolidation of information from multiple sources during active incidents.
Police said the platform is intended to support both immediate response and longer-term crime analysis.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman praised the initiative, saying real-time intelligence centers improve evidence collection and support stronger prosecutions in organized retail theft and other cases.
Funding for the center came from a $6.125 million grant from the California Board of State and Community Corrections through the Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program.
According to police, the SMART Center aligns with departmental priorities, including crime suppression, traffic safety, homelessness response, and community engagement, and is expected to improve emergency response and coordination during major incidents.
Police said the center reflects a broader shift toward technology-driven policing focused on prevention, real-time intelligence, and regional collaboration.