The Fremont Police Department recently unveiled its Real Time Information Center (RTIC) facility, giving the department’s advanced crime analysis a permanent command center.
RTIC utilizes city-wide camera feeds in order to assess and respond to calls for service. This technology allows public safety officers to respond to calls quickly and safely, according to Police Captain Matthew Snelson.
The RTIC facility’s grand opening on April 28 included a ribbon cutting ceremony, as well as remarks from Fremont’s Mayor Raj Salwan, city manager Karena Shackelford and Police Chief Floyd Mitchell.
“It’s very exciting for us to be able to have additional situational awareness into what’s going on prior to an officer responding to a call for service,” Mitchell said.
That situational awareness means additional preparedness, Mitchell explained. Through RTIC, officers can determine threat level in real time, and determine whether additional emergency services are needed before arriving on scene.
“It’s a long time coming, we’ve been talking about it for a while and it’s finally here,” Salwan said. “In the city of Fremont, public safety is our top priority, and this real time information center will give us better tools to our officers so they can help reduce crime and also prevent crime.”
Salwan added that he championed funding for RTIC and worked alongside the city council in order to get the facility up and running which, like any project, required a lot of preparation and planning. Now, he’s excited to see that work pay off.
“Fremont is a very innovative and diverse city, and we embrace innovation,” Salwan said. “This fits our brand. It gives us the tools to be able to reduce crime and fight crime.”
Snelson mirrored this sentiment, noting that evolving technology creates newer and better ways to ensure public safety.
“I think it’s a huge win,” Snelson said.
Snelson added that he is incredibly appreciative of the organizations which made funding this program possible.
RTIC was initially established in May 2025 through a grant from the California Board of State and Community Corrections. This grant came as part of a statewide effort to combat organized retail theft.
The program was aided by an additional grant from the DOJ Technology and Equipment program, which allowed the city to upgrade surveillance cameras.
Until now, the technology and analysts who work with it did not have a designated facility.
“Being able to have a dedicated center where we have analysts ready to interact with those cameras, increases our efficiency,” said Snelson. “And being able to utilize those data feeds to be able to understand what’s going on, inform our responding public safety officers and make better decisions in the field.”
