Cop command ‘way of future’

A COMMAND centre where top cops can monitor every major police asset in the city via GPS will be yet another legacy of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The “joint emergency services command centre” was inspired by the way foreign services such as the New York Police Department oversee resources from one central location and police bosses say it has the potential to change the way cops serve the Gold Coast.

“Our joint emergency services co-ordination centre is world leading,” said Police Minister Mark Ryan.

“You can get more police on the beat more often when you take advantage of the efficiencies and productivities from technology and we’re leading the way.”

Rather than the current system where each police station is responsible for a certain zone, the command centre maps a future where officers monitor CCTV footage, intelligence and social media to help police “pulse and surge” across the district.

Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd said this capability was particularly important for major events such as the Commonwealth Games and officers would trial the new system between now and 2018, including at the GC600.

“We’re getting in a position to be able to start using these facilities in support of our normal, planned major events here on the Gold Coast,” he said.

“It’s going to be a really exciting prospect for the postGames future.

“We’re changing some of the sort of traditional views of how police (are deployed).”

Mr Ryan said the centre would be imperative for all emergency services during the Commonwealth Games to deploy forces where they were required quickly.

“The technology that we’ll have … is based on those internationally acclaimed other examples of co-ordination centres,” he said.

“We’ve taken all of those lessons, adopted it, given it a Queensland flavour and made it of course the best in the world.”

For security reasons, the exact location of the centre is under wraps but Gold Coasters it is expected to be rolled out as early as late 2017.

YOU CAN GET MORE POLICE ON THE BEAT MORE OFTEN WHEN YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EFFICIENCIES AND PRODUCTIVITIES FROM TECHNOLOGY AND WE’RE LEADING THE WAY. POLICE MINISTER MARK RYAN