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 investigations.

The RTCC now operates with a small analyst team and extended coverage through Saturdays at midnight; the sheriff’s office said staffing patterns prioritize daytime school hours and allow support of night shift deputies. Dustin Bonsgard was promoted to RTCC supervisor this month, the sheriff said, and the center’s three tactical analysts — Katie Johnson, Amanda Vandenberg and Dave Hegland — all bring prior county experience.

Knowles and RTCC staff walked commissioners through examples that the office said demonstrate different kinds of impact: an armed‑robbery arrest that followed camera and plate reader tracing within a day; a multi‑incident vehicle suspect identified and taken into custody after ALPR hits in a nearby jurisdiction; thefts that dropped near retail sites after temporary camera placement; and missing persons who were located after regional plate‑reader and camera hits. The presenters also described a case where the RTCC analyst confirmed that officers had deployed a taser, calming responding units.

Staff described the “cameras on wheels” as deployed primarily when data or complaints drive placement — for example, repeat thefts at construction sites or retail theft at chain stores. Those mobile units are sometimes loaned to partner organizations (the Downtown Hospitality Association was mentioned) but frequent redeployment takes county personnel away from analyst duties, the sheriff said: “We’re doubling up on day shift right now during school season so that we can react quickly to school emergencies…that is the number one fire alarm for us.”

On enterprise tools, RTCC staff said Peregrine makes dispersed digital records searchable across body‑worn camera transcriptions, CAD/RMS text and other systems. The sheriff’s office reported an internal estimate that Peregrine could produce about $300,000 a year in time savings as analysts and investigators find and use information more quickly.

Commissioners pressed staff on a few points: whether RTCC successes focus mainly on violent crime (staff said the unit addresses violent and property crime and that reducing prolific offenders reduces many downstream incidents), how often mobile cameras signal a problem in a particular area (staff said most placements are data driven), and whether the center has enough redundancy in staffing (staff acknowledged gaps when analysts attend training and said they are discussing partnerships and cost‑sharing with Spokane Police Department and other agencies).

Knowles framed the RTCC as a regional asset. He said the center already provides assistance to other county jurisdictions and to the state patrol and that the number of assists is likely to grow as more agencies add ALPRs and cameras. “We’ve been somewhat of a pilot for the Northwest,” he said, noting delegations that have visited from elsewhere.

Commissioners thanked staff for the update and for the examples showing the unit’s operational contributions. The RTCC portion of the briefing closed without a vote; commissioners were told staff will continue to pursue partnerships and cost‑sharing to expand coverage and redundancy.

Ending: The sheriff asked the Board to consider regional partnerships and long‑term funding models as the RTCC scales; staff said they would return with follow‑up plans and additional metrics to track violent‑crime versus property‑crime impacts.