Working with a grant from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other funding sources, Jason Tyre, a member of the Phoenix Police Department, the Homeland Defense Bureau and the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC), headed up a team that devised a comprehensive security solution. Milestone Xprotect VMS was at the heart of the operation.

Tyre and his team based operations at the multi-agency coordination centre (MACC), a dedicated command centre where officers monitored cameras, sharing information with federal authorities, transit officials, city and county police, fire departments and other security officials. There was a dedicated network fibre path between Phoenix, Glendale and Scottsdale, which Tyre and Phoenix PD Sergeant Anthony Jones cite as a critical factor in facilitating the flow of information among the cities and agencies.

“We tracked all sorts of incidents downtown, and provided our people with real-time info on exactly the best course to mitigate a situation,” said Tyre. “With this allocation of resources, we were able to locate individuals and assess situations quickly and effectively through the Milestone interface to the cameras.”

During the week of the events in downtown Glendale, the city of Phoenix hosted a variety of activities including large concerts. These shows drew large audiences resulting in significant crowd buildup. Phoenix PD had to address a variety of incidents, such as pickpockets, lost children, alcohol-related violations and suspicious packages. Milestone Mobile enabled officers on the street to view and push video on their phones and tablets for appropriate and fast response.

With Milestone, Tyre and his team also had a solution that allowed them to monitor real-time calls for service. They were able to locate police vehicles across the entire security perimeter, plotting camera locations throughout the area. They could click on a camera view in the Milestone Smart Wall and immediately see the video feed from that location.

The department has already implemented lessons learned during the initial events, applying them to the college football championship held there, as well as the national college basketball tournament.

“We’ve worked out many of the earlier kinks in communication and responsiveness,” said Tyre. “Everyone on this team worked hard to build relationships and improve capabilities. We can anticipate what’s needed and gain traction well before the events get started.”