Forest Park Police unveil new rapid response command center [Video]

FOREST PARK, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The City of Forest Park has activated a new command center that it says will allow it to respond to crimes faster and make officers and residents safer.

The Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) allows Forest Park police to track everything from cameras to 911 calls to crime scenes as they happen.

Officer Joshua Wilson is the command center’s Remote Pilot-in-Command (PIC). If a crime is reported, he can often have a drone in the air and to the scene before police physically arrive.

“I can send one two or three miles,” he said.

Forest Park police work with Paladin Drones on the setup. Rather than using line-of-sight like most PICs, the partnership with Paladin allows Wilson to use cell phone towers to transmit the signal, significantly lengthening the drones’ range.

The drone can fly to a location faster than a car, providing visuals …