East Point police chief outlines community-policing plan, 911 upgrades and drone response

Sean Buchanan, chief of the City of East Point Police Department, described plans to expand community policing, modernize the department’s 911 operations and deploy new response technology during a public presentation. He said the department also is pursuing national accreditation and emphasized outreach programs aimed at youth.

Buchanan said the city invested about $200,000 to renovate East Point’s 911 center and equip it with new technology. "Eastpoint is unique because we have our own individual 911 center where we dispatch calls from. So we have about $200,000 new equipment and technology," he said. He described a forthcoming "smart 911" system that will allow residents to text 911 and send pictures to give dispatchers more information.

The chief described a real-time crime center that integrates roughly 300 cameras across the city and links business cameras into a single platform he called FUSIS. "We can if there's a call come out, we can see what's happening prior to the call, [before] the officers arriving to the call," Buchanan said, adding that the system can "see what's going on as it's actually happening." He said the capability will provide officers arriving on scene with more information.

Buchanan also described rapid-deployment drones intended to provide an aerial "overwatch" and additional real-time information for fire, medical and policing incidents. "The drones of the first responder is the most revolutionary technology that's out in policing today. We can actually dispatch your drone to a call. It'll arrive within 90 seconds," he said. He added that "80 percent of our calls can be answered in 90 seconds," and that drone overwatch can give responders eyes on a scene before officers arrive.

On evidence and accreditation, Buchanan said the department is building a new evidence room and pursuing CALEA accreditation, which he described as a national "gold standard" for police accreditation. "One of my main priorities and goals when I became chief is to have a CALEA certification," he said, noting the department has not held national certification since its 1908 founding.

Buchanan also highlighted community outreach, citing National Night Out as a major annual event aimed at youth and families. He said the department distributes backpacks and school supplies at the event and uses it to build relationships between officers and residents. "We want to assist families with that price and with that burden of trying to supply school supplies," he said.

Buchanan thanked the mayor, council and city manager for support, and said the department’s focus will remain embedding officers in the community to build trust and offer services for social or mental needs. "Our focus will always be how can we embed ourselves in the community to work for the community," he said.