Spokane County sheriff’s Real Time Crime Center says analysts helped recover stolen vehicles, locate missing people and support violent‑crime cases

Sheriff John Knowles told Spokane County commissioners on Feb. 18 that the county’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) produced a string of operational results in 2024 after the unit reached full staffing and completed facility construction.

The RTCC’s work contributed to what Knowles and his staff described as 89 charges filed in connection with second‑half 2024 investigations, 54 stolen‑vehicle recoveries and two missing persons located; the center’s annual workload in 2024 was the highest so far, the sheriff said. “We are dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of our community, harnessing cutting edge technology, providing rapid actual intelligence to deputies and officers,” Knowles told the board.

The county funded much of the RTCC with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other grant dollars, and staff described three technology investments as key: mobile camera trailers (“cows”), automated license‑plate readers (ALPRs) and a search/ingest platform called Peregrine. Deputies and analysts credited those tools with both immediate on‑scene assistance and case work that accelerated follow‑up…