Real time crime centers aren’t always born in buildings filled with video walls and high-tech dashboards. Sometimes, they begin in closets — literally.
In Flagler County, Florida, Nikki North, RTCC manager at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and past president of the National Real Time Crime Center Association, helped launch an RTCC from a temporary storage room into a fully operational, modern hub of public safety operations.
But North didn’t come from a purely analytical background. Her career began in the trenches of emergency communications, spending two years as a 911 dispatcher before transitioning into crime analysis and real-time operations. That firsthand experience — handling life-or-death calls, triaging chaos and communicating under pressure — continues to shape how she manages Flagler County’s RTCC and collaborates with dispatch teams. She understands both worlds, having worn the headset and now guiding the intel.
Along the way, she’s helped define what effective RTCC-dispatch coordination looks like — what works, what doesn’t, and how trust, communication and mutual respect between these two vital teams can make all the difference. Her experience highlights both the common hurdles — like perceived competition between dispatchers and analysts — and the practical solutions that help bridge those divides: shared technology tools, clear communication boundaries and a commitment to mutual understanding.
From stepping in during high-volume dispatch periods to sharing after-hours access to real-time surveillance tools, North’s team models a high-functioning collaboration. It’s a dynamic that offers valuable guidance for any agency — especially smaller or rural ones — looking to enhance their operations without overwhelming their resources.
As North puts it, if you’ve got the intent and a few connections, you’ve already got a real time crime center. You just may not know it yet. Below, she shares stories, strategies and lessons learned from seven years of building a center designed to work hand-in-hand with dispatch.
What are the biggest challenges between dispatchers and RTCC analysts?
The biggest challenge is that they don’t always understand what the other does. Since I was a dispatcher in the past, I’m aware of what their day-to-day looks like — good days, bad days, busy shifts and slow ones. That experience helps me bridge that gap.
What’s most important to understand is that it’s not a competition between dispatchers and analysts. Everyone’s goal is the same: to make sure everyone gets home safely at the end of the day. We’re all working together — from call to call — to support officer safety, solve crimes, and assist deputies, detectives and the public.
That’s something I made clear from the beginning when we started our crime center: this isn’t about competing – it’s about helping each other.
What advice would you give agencies about improving communication among the two teams, especially emphasizing that it’s not a competition?
The easiest thing, especially when you’re just starting out, is to establish communication between the two teams as early as possible. The sooner you start talking, the sooner you can figure out how to support one another.
For example, during day shift, if dispatch gets busy on teletype, we’ll step in and handle things like running criminal histories. It’s a small way we can provide relief, but it makes a difference.
We keep it simple: If you ever get busy, chat us on CAD, call us over the radio — whatever you need. We’ll take over whatever we can to help. We make it clear that we’re here in the background. If we have access to a piece of technology dispatch doesn’t, and it’s urgent, we’ll jump on the radio. But otherwise, we’ll wait — unless asked — because we don’t want to step on anyone’s toes or jump the gun. It’s all about being available, helpful and respectful of each other’s roles.
Can cross-training between dispatchers and RTCC analysts improve communication and collaboration?
Yes, definitely. We make sure our dispatchers are trained to use the same platforms we use — that way, after hours, when analysts may not be on-site, dispatchers still have access to those tools. If things are slow, they can explore the technology and get more comfortable with it.
We also do some informal exposure training. Whenever a new dispatcher starts, we bring them over to the crime center to see what we do. And when I hire a new analyst, I send them to dispatch for a bit to observe and get a feel for their day-to-day. It’s not full cross-training, but it builds awareness and that’s a big step toward stronger collaboration.
In the video below, Sheriff Rick Staly and Investigative Services Division Chief Paul Bovino discuss the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s real time crime center and how it enhances public safety through technology.
How should agencies approach the physical placement of their RTCC in relation to dispatch and what setup has worked best for your agency?
It’s not overly common, but you will see some RTCCs either located right next to dispatch or fully embedded within it. That said, if you’re a small or rural agency, you might even start with a dedicated dispatcher who’s interested in real-time analysis — someone who can help build the technology and bridge both roles, because a lot of those functions overlap.
In our case, the RTCC is housed within our investigations division, mainly because we also handle crime analysis. That structure works well for us. Some centers prefer being completely separate, especially if they’re working on sensitive tasks like internal affairs support or background checks. That separation gives them the focus and flexibility they need.
It’s really about figuring out what makes sense for your agency like how much space you have, how your teams operate and what kind of collaboration you want to build. Placement matters, especially when you’re starting out, and it can impact whether teams work together or start to feel like they’re in competition.
What technology solutions have you found most useful for enhancing communication between the two teams?
Generally, it’s not just about enhancing communication between dispatch and analysts. It’s about giving both teams access to the right tools. The two most valuable technologies we rely on are city-integrated traffic cameras and license plate readers. Almost every real time crime center you talk to will tell you the same. Those two technologies go hand in hand when it comes to solving cases by helping us identify vehicles involved in incidents.
To support collaboration, both our teams — RTCC and dispatch — have access to those tools. During day shift, when dispatch tends to be busier, we usually take the lead on using them. But after hours, it’s important that dispatch still has access to everything they need. That way, if it’s not as hectic, they don’t feel like they have to call us for every little thing; they’re empowered to use the tech themselves when needed.
Can you share an example of a case where effective communication between dispatch and RTCC directly improved an officer’s response?
This type of situation happens at least weekly — if not almost daily.
Just recently, we had a man sitting on a highway sign over I-95, threatening to jump. Dispatch began relaying reports from passersby, while our deputies were actively searching for his exact location. We were able to get eyes on him through our camera system and relay more precise details.
Then things escalated. We received information that he might have a gun in his backpack. Since we had visual surveillance, we could monitor him closely and quickly notify dispatch or officers if he made any sudden movements — like reaching into the bag. That kind of real-time coordination between dispatch’s verbal updates and our visual feed helped ensure a fast, safe response.
We’re mindful of not overwhelming our deputies with too much information. From the RTCC side, we don’t go over the radio unless it’s something only we know and it’s urgent. For less time-sensitive updates or background intel, we’ll use other channels — like CAD chat, email or direct communication with dispatch — so we’re not stepping over their comms or crowding radio traffic.
In this case, the outcome was a success. Our fire rescue team was able to get the man down safely using a ladder truck and everyone went home safe. It was a great example of law enforcement, dispatch, RTCC and other agencies working together seamlessly.
What role does AI or automation play in filtering and relaying key intelligence between dispatch and RTCC?
It’s still a bit of a slippery slope, mainly because people define AI in very different ways. A lot of what’s being referred to as AI, I prefer to call enhanced analytics. It’s not that it replaces human work; it’s just a pointer system that gives you preliminary information. You still need to follow through and investigate like you normally would.
For example, some of our video systems let you search for a red car or a white truck. That’s helpful, but it’s just a starting point. You still have to look at the footage and ask, “Is this the red car I’m actually looking for?” or “Is this the same white truck that was involved in the incident?”
Facial recognition is another example. Even if a system says you have a 99% match, that can’t be your only evidence. You still need to do the investigative work — whether that’s running photo lineups, conducting interviews or gathering other evidence to confirm that person’s connection to the case.
We do use these kinds of tools in our RTCC, but only as preliminary resources. They help us expedite the process, but they’re not the final word. They give us a head start; they don’t make the decisions for us.
What advice would you give to an agency looking to strengthen communication between these critical teams?
The biggest piece of advice is simple: continuously involve each other. From the start, make sure both sides are at the table. If one team moves forward without the other, it only creates confusion later and makes it much harder to understand what the other is doing.
It really is a seamless collaboration. What one team does affects the other and vice versa. While some functions may overlap, dispatch and RTCC have completely different roles and neither one is trying to take over. The goal is always to supplement and complement each other.
Also, be patient when you’re first starting out. It’s a learning curve. For example, when we first started handling license plate reader alerts, we tried having RTCC give the calls out over the radio. But it quickly became confusing. So we switched it back: dispatch gives out the calls, and we help track and verify in the background. Sometimes you have to try things, learn what doesn’t work and adjust. And that’s OK.
And if you feel like you missed the ball when starting out — it’s never too late to fix that. Don’t be intimidated if you didn’t build that relationship from day one. Even if your center is already established and there’s some animosity between teams, take the time to sit down and work through it. That communication and collaboration really is important.
How do you see the future of dispatch and RTCC collaboration evolving?
I see that collaboration continuing to grow as new technology develops. Honestly, I’m in a demo for a new platform or tool almost every week, if not every other week, just to stay on top of what’s out there. As agencies adopt these tools, it’s critical that both dispatch and RTCC are involved in those decisions from the start.
For example, our dispatch center has access to RapidSOS, which helps provide more precise location data. We don’t yet have that integrated in the crime center, but it’s something we’re working toward. Dispatch has used it to help guide officers to people lost in the woods — by comparing the caller’s RapidSOS location with a deputy’s body camera location, they’re able to close the gap and find people faster. That’s the kind of tool that benefits everyone and it shows why both teams need to be part of the process.
Another capability we’re watching is live access to 911 calls from the crime center — being able to listen in real time instead of relying solely on what’s relayed. We don’t have that yet either, but it’s one more way we could improve coordination.
Ultimately, it’s about keeping both perspectives in mind and involving each other as we move forward. That’s how we build systems that work together, instead of just in parallel.
