Santa Monica Police Launch SMART Center

Santa Monica police have opened a real-time crime center that pulls live data, cameras and 911 tools into one operations hub. (santamonica.gov) The Santa Monica Police Department said the SMART Center — short for Santa Monica Analytical Real-Time Center — officially launched on April 21, 2026. The city said it combines the municipal camera network, Live 911, drone response and video analytics on one platform. (santamonica.gov) Police Chief Darrick Jacob said analysts and officers can use the center to watch incidents as they unfold, feed information to patrol officers and coordinate drone support during active calls. The department said it had already been using some of those capabilities in the field before the physical center was completed. (santamonica.gov) The center is also aimed at organized retail theft, which Santa Monica has treated as a regional problem hitting shopping districts and business corridors. The city said live video and information-sharing systems should help police spot patterns, identify repeat suspects and work cases across city lines. (santamonica.gov) This project has been in the works since at least September 2023, when Santa Monica announced a $6.125 million state grant through California’s Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program. City officials said then that the money would help build the SMART Center and add tools including closed-circuit cameras, automated license plate readers, drones and Live911. (santamonica.gov) The launch comes after Santa Monica reported a 12.5% drop in Part I crime in 2025, with 599 fewer violent offenses and burglaries than in 2024. The city also said total arrests rose 22.9% and the department reached full sworn staffing for the first time in more than 20 years. (santamonica.gov) That staffing turnaround followed the City Council’s Realignment Plan, adopted in October 2025, which shifted the department toward more visible patrol and earlier intervention in repeat trouble spots. City data released in March said officer-initiated activity rose from about 40% in 2024 to 51% to 53% in early 2026. (santamonica.gov; patch.com) Santa Monica had already been leaning harder on data tools before this opening. In its 2024 annual crime report, the department said it replaced a 35-year-old records system in May 2024 and adopted the National Incident-Based Reporting System, a federal crime-reporting format that captures more detail about each case. (santamonica.gov) Mayor Caroline Torosis tied the new center to the city’s recovery of business activity and visitors. The next test is whether the SMART Center turns its live feeds and analytics into faster arrests and stronger cases than the older, after-the-fact model it is replacing. (santamonica.gov)