Fort Lee PD takes a technology-first approach
Fort Lee Police Department deploys Genetec solutions to provide a flexible, scalable public safety platform for faster incident response and streamlined investigations so officers can best protect their community.
The company
The Fort Lee Police Department (FLPD) serves the Borough of Fort Lee, New Jersey. While Fort Lee is a small town, its location across from Manhattan, New York, and its connection via the George Washington Bridge place it at the center of constant movement. Over 300,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily, creating heavy traffic and unique public safety challenges, including transient crime. To stay proactive, the FLPD leans on modern police technology that helps officers respond fast.
The challenge
Years ago, FLPD decided to implement Genetec™ Security Center and upgrade its city-wide video surveillance system to Omnicast™. The team was moving away from an old analog system that limited their ability to respond quickly. They knew investing in an open, IP-based video solution would give them modern features upfront with the freedom to grow and add other capabilities later. Over time, this solution became the foundation for public safety operations across Fort Lee.
The solution
Efficient incident response
When an incident is called in, FLPD dispatchers can quickly pull up video and ALPR cameras on an interactive city map, relay information to responding officers, and monitor events as they unfold.
Coordinated school safety
Using Federation, the FLPD built an innovative threat response plan for schools. One press of a silent panic button alerts their department, helping officers act quickly and keep students and teachers safe.
Faster evidence sharing
During an investigation, detectives and supervisors use Genetec Clearance to export video, interview recordings, or vehicle data into case files that they can securely share with authorized stakeholders.
Built for growth
The flexibility to scale at their own pace keeps FLPD priorities and budgets aligned. “We have a solid platform to expand city-wide initiatives and protect the community we serve,” said Captain Porto.
“With Genetec solutions, our dispatchers and officers are empowered to handle any situation quickly and effectively. We’ve seen huge efficiency gains across our operations.”
Thomas Porto, Captain at Fort Lee Police Department
Results
Today, FLPD manages hundreds of cameras with multi-sensor lenses using Security Center. The team also enabled the Federation™ feature, connecting video systems from schools and a parking garage into their city-wide surveillance system. To monitor roadways and support vehicle-related investigations, they’ve deployed Cloudrunner™ automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras. Evidence from these sources and others is organized and shared using Genetec Clearance™ digital evidence management system.
“Our dispatch team and officers work together to handle incidents and share intelligence. On one case, the Cloudrunner system alerted our supervisor to a hit on a stolen vehicle. Within minutes, dispatch pulled up nearby cameras and tracked the vehicle. Officers responded in real time, recovered the vehicle, and apprehended the suspect in five minutes of that initial hit,” said Captain Porto.