Durham Police are developing a new Real Time Crime Center, with a focus on solving crimes faster.

Police are working to contract with a third-party company, Peregrine, to bring all of their existing data together.

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Peregine would aggregate all the disparate data - such as 911 calls, bodyworn camera video, and crime reports - under one platform.

Tim Shriver with Peregrine explained that fragmented data can make the job of law enforcement more difficult.

“What Peregrine does is offer a platform, a single pane of glass that allows us to bring that information together, fuse it together in a way to make it useful, and then provide it back to everyone from a patrol officer, to a detective, to the chief of police, to better do their jobs,” Shriver said. "That could be everything from responding to a 911 call confidently and quickly with the information they need to treat that situation effectively, to solving violent crime, to transparently reporting out to the public."

Shriver says centralized operations can help police respond quickly to an incident in progress.

During the most recent City Council discussion, some Durham City Council members brought up the issue of privacy.

Chief Patrice Andrews emphasized the security around the data.

“This is not software that anyone can just come in and just wantonly Google anyone right or wantonly look up anyone,” said Andrews. "There is a strict audit trail of who is using and who is accessing. It is also not blatantly or open to outside entities to come in and access our data."

Shriver also emphasized, Durham will retain ownership of all of their data, and Peregrine does not sell it to any other entities.

“This is something we take really seriously. We know that the data the Durham Police Department has is some of the most sensitive that sits within a city. So we have robust permissioning and controls to ensure that only the right people who need to see that information can see that information,” Shriver said.

Peregrine also emphasizes, their company does not collect any new data.

“Peregrine does not bring in any data that is not already lawfully owned and held by Durham PD,” Shriver said. “The data that we are integrating and making useful already sits in the 911 system, in the records management system, in the evidence system. So there's no new information that's being brought into Peregrine."

Durham Police are hosting Town Hall events for the public to learn more about Peregrine and get questions answered:

  • Saturday, November 8: 12 – 2 p.m., Lyon Park Recreation Center
    • Wednesday, November 12: 6 – 8 p.m., Holton Career & Resource Center
      • Thursday, November 13: 6 – 8 p.m., Walltown Park Recreation Center
        • Friday, November 14: 6 – 8 p.m., WD Hill Recreation Center
          • Saturday, November 15: 12 – 2 p.m., Lyon Park Recreation Center

            DPD will also host a virtual session on Zoom on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. that can be accessed here.