PUBLIC SAFETY
PATROL OPERATIONS SUMMARY OF SERVICES
Patrol Operations provides a variety of field and operations support, including emergency service requests; citizen assistance; and responding to in-progress, reported crimes and a wide range of non- criminal activities.
Accomplishments
The City of Irvine was the Safest City of its size for Violent Part I crime for the 17 th year in a row, according to FBI data. Irvine Police Department responded to approximately 138,000 calls for service annually over the last two years. This number includes 90,000 calls initiated by members of the community and another 48,000 initiated by police personnel. In 2021, the Irvine Police Department implemented the use of Body Worn Cameras (BWCs). BWCs are small cameras that police employees wear on their person while on duty, allowing for video and audio recording of interactions with the public. The use of BWCs has been credited with increasing accountability and transparency, improving criminal investigations and prosecution, reducing complaints, enhancing community relations, and improving evidence collection. Additionally, the BWC’s are integrated with the police in-car video cameras. The Unmanned Aircraft System (drone) team continues to be an efficient and cost effective crime- fighting tool. The team has been deployed to assist in locating crime suspects and missing persons; to survey crime scenes; and to assist Orange County Fire Authority operations during the Silverado, Bond, and Quail Hill Open Space fires. In addition, the team has assisted on other wildland fires in Orange County by providing mutual aid assistance. License Plate Readers (LPRs) are automated technology systems that use optical character recognition to capture license plate information from passing vehicles. In 2022, the Irvine Police Department installed this technology on the patrol fleet. LPRs on police patrol cars provide law enforcement with real-time information about vehicle registrations, criminal activity, and other pertinent information related to the vehicle or driver. LPRs have several benefits for law enforcement agencies. They can help officers locate stolen vehicles, identify vehicles associated with criminal activity, and track the movements of suspects. LPRs can also help officers identify and locate individuals with outstanding warrants or who are wanted for other crimes. Installing LPRs on police patrol cars is a cost-effective way to increase the efficiency of law enforcement operations. LPRs can capture license plate information quickly and accurately, reducing the time and resources required for manual license plate checks. Police officers responding to dynamic calls face a wide range of unpredictable situations that require specialized equipment to effectively respond to and mitigate potential threats. In 2022, the Irvine Police Department outfitted five patrol cars with specialized equipment to allow officers in the field to quickly respond to these calls and be able to begin addressing them immediately. This equipment provides officers with the necessary tools to mitigate potential threats, maintain their professionalism and preparedness, and minimize the risk of harm to the public and themselves.
FY 2023-25 Adopted Budget
223
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