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DeKalb credits new cameras and Real Time Crime Center as crime-response tools; officials cite staffing gains
Summary
County leaders said a Real Time Crime Center opened Dec. 15, 2025 and combined with increased officer staffing, camera networks and a drone-first responder program, the county has reduced response times and produced arrests in street-takeover enforcement.
Assistant Chief Tony Hughes and CEO Lorraine Cochran Johnson described recent public-safety investments and operational results, including new surveillance and analytics tools, staffing gains and targeted enforcement.
Hughes said the Real Time Crime Center opened on Dec. 15, 2025, is a joint effort between DeKalb Police and the CEO's office and ties together camera systems including DOT and private Flock cameras to help pinpoint suspects and follow movements across intersections. “In 12/15/2025, we opened our real time crime center,” Hughes said.
Both Hughes and Johnson credited recent compensation and recruitment changes with improving staffing: the CEO stated police recruitment is up more than 300% since she took office and cited a 98% retention rate. Hughes emphasized that increased staffing allowed more visible patrols and contributed to a double-digit drop in some crime categories reported at the briefing.
Hughes described targeted efforts against street racing and street takeovers, saying the initiative produced more than 200 citations, over 41 arrests and 11 vehicle impounds. He also described expanded public-safety partnerships that include federal agencies (ATF, FBI and Secret Service) to support complex investigations.
Officials linked a recently allocated $15,000,000 ambulance contract to a reported average response-time improvement of 2 minutes, 38 seconds, and said the county is investing in drone-first responder capabilities tied to the Real Time Crime Center to reduce on-scene arrival times.
