Sarasota Police Open Real Time Operations Center as Chief Urges Lawmakers to Keep License Plate Readers

The Sarasota Police Department opened its Real Time Operations Center to visitors this week, using the tour to make the case that state lawmakers should preserve the license plate readers it says are central to solving crimes in the city. Department leaders say the automated readers help resolve more than 50% of local cases.

Known inside the department as "the ROC," the high-tech facility lets analysts connect to officer body cameras and watch incidents as they develop. Staff there also follow missing persons cases, stolen vehicles and hit-and-run crashes as they happen.

Police Chief Rex Troche described the Flock automated license plate readers as essential to modern policing. He said the technology helps investigators crack more than half of the city's criminal cases.

Troche stressed the speed the system provides, particularly when someone is missing. "You have four hours to find that person before something could really happen to them. When we say this is real time, this is a real-time operation center. We are keeping people from being victimized by catching the bad person before they can commit another crime," he said.

The department's camera network has shrunk recently. Sarasota police had roughly 80 automated license plate readers across the municipality, but that number was cut in half after the Florida Department of Transportation issued a removal order. State officials required the city to take down 40 cameras on state roadways. Police said they are now evaluating other locations for the devices.

Troche made a direct appeal to state representatives to let the network keep operating under stricter departmental standards. He said the technology is new to law enforcement and should come with safeguards. "We've never had this type of technology and, with great power, should come guard rails," he said. He added that he wants to meet with legislators and would gladly send them a copy of the department's policy so they can see how it has been tightened.

The push for transparency follows the arrest of an officer for misusing the database. Troche said administrators responded by removing search capabilities from patrol officers. Supervisors must now oversee every query, and the department has set up regular internal audits.

The information in this report came from Troche, who explained how the Real Time Operations Center works and described the policy changes during a tour of the facility.