The state-of-the-art facility unifies drones, cameras, and live data to modernize the city’s approach to emergency response and crime prevention.
The Santa Monica Police Department has debuted its Analytical Real-Time Center (SMART), a high-tech command post designed to overhaul the city’s emergency response and investigative capabilities through live intelligence.
The SMART Center serves as a centralized hub that unifies several formerly disparate technologies, including the city’s expansive camera network, Live 911 audio, and the “Drone as a First Responder” program. By synthesizing these tools, personnel can now provide field officers with live video feeds and critical data as incidents develop, rather than relying solely on retrospective evidence.
A primary objective for the new facility is suppression of Organized Retail Theft (ORT). The center’s advanced video analytics and regional data-sharing systems allow the SMPD to track repeat offenders and coordinate with neighboring agencies to dismantle theft rings that cross city lines.
Beyond theft, the center is engineered to support the department’s four core priorities:
- Crime Suppression: Utilizing predictive analytics and real-time monitoring to deter criminal activity.
- Homelessness Response: Coordinating service outreach and public safety deployments.
- Traffic Safety: Monitoring high-risk intersections and managing large-scale events.
- Community Engagement: Improving transparency and response times to build local trust.
While the physical facility was only recently completed, the SMPD has already utilized its integrated capabilities to manage active crime scenes. Now fully operational, the center provides a permanent environment for dispatchers and analysts to provide a “clear operational picture” to officers, enhancing both public and first-responder safety.
For the community, this translates to faster emergency response, more precise deployments, and improved coordination during large-scale or rapidly evolving incidents.
Funding for the SMART Center was secured through a competitive grant from the
California Board of State and Community Corrections, as part of the Organized
Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program, through which SMPD was awarded $6.125 million.
This investment reflects the State’s recognition of technology-driven, intelligence-led policing as a critical component in addressing retail theft and other complex crime challenges.
