TPD Cites Technology as “Performance Driver”

During a presentation at the city annual retreat, the Tallahassee Police Department pointed to strategic investments in technology as a key factor behind recent declines in violent crime and improvements in investigative outcomes across the city.

According to data released by TPD, violent crime has fallen more than 28 percent since 2023, while shootings are down 46 percent and homicides have declined by 19 percent. Department leaders say those reductions reflect a shift toward data-driven policing, proactive patrol strategies, and expanded use of real-time technology rather than reliance on traditional reactive enforcement alone.

Property crime remains an area of continued focus, though officials note progress there as well. Vehicle burglaries declined 12 percent over the past year, a trend TPD attributes to targeted deployment of resources in repeat locations and known crime corridors.

Central to the department’s approach is a layered camera ecosystem that now includes more than 650 cameras across the city. The network consists of TPD-owned Public Safety Cameras, License Plate Reader (LPR) systems, and voluntary Public-Private Camera Partnerships with residents and businesses. Together, the tools provide officers and investigators with enhanced situational awareness and faster access to evidence during active incidents and follow-up investigations.

Public Safety Cameras, first installed in 2018 at the request of residents in the Bond community, have since expanded citywide. There are currently 126 such cameras located in public spaces and areas with historically higher crime activity. TPD says the cameras deter criminal behavior, allow dispatchers and officers to assess situations before arriving on scene, and provide objective video evidence that supports prosecutions. All cameras are placed in areas where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.

License Plate Reader technology has been particularly impactful, according to the department. In the past year, LPRs supported more than 23,800 vehicle queries and helped recover 141 stolen vehicles. Over the last two years, LPRs assisted in more than 250 stolen-vehicle recoveries and were deemed integral to dozens of investigations in 2025, including homicide, robbery, shooting, burglary, and missing-person cases.

TPD operates three LPR systems—Axon Mobile, FlockSafety Fixed, and Vigilant Fixed—using both mobile and stationary cameras. The systems generate millions of reads each month, but officials emphasize that all alerts are verified by personnel before any enforcement action is taken. Due to the rise of cross-jurisdictional crime, LPR data is shared with other law enforcement agencies nationwide through reciprocal agreements. That network recently aided in identifying a suspect in the mid-December murder of an MIT professor, according to TPD.

The department has also expanded voluntary Public-Private Camera Partnerships. Through opt-in programs, residents can register street-facing cameras so investigators can request relevant footage if a crime occurs nearby. Businesses may choose to provide real-time access during active incidents using secure systems. TPD says participation is voluntary, ownership remains with participants, and access can be terminated at any time.

At the center of these technology investments is the Capital Region Real-Time Crime Center, which integrates camera feeds, LPR data, dispatch information, and records systems into a single operational hub. Over the past two years, the center has supported nearly 25,000 investigations and calls for service, contributing to more than 1,100 arrests.

City officials say the technology expansion was made possible in part by a millage rate increase approved by the City Commission in fiscal year 2024. TPD leaders argue the investment is paying dividends, reinforcing a policing strategy focused on prevention, accountability, and faster resolution of serious crimes.