Effective communications between APD and private sector security creates a force multiplier for crime prevention and emergency preparedness.

UPDATE: Please click here to read an important press release and thank you to the Loudermilk Family for thier generous contribution making the Video Integration Center possible.

The Atlanta Police Foundation and The Atlanta Police Department, in partnership with the Atlanta Security Council, Central Atlanta Progress, Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, and Midtown Alliance launched OPERATION SHIELD in April 2007.  Operation Shield is a program that utilizes a fully integrated approach to carrying out our mission of addressing crime prevention and emergency preparedness.  Operation Shield’s three-pronged success formula enables members to effectively bridge communication gaps between the Atlanta Police Department and Atlanta’s business community; Operation Shield includes: 
  
Video Integration Center:  The Operation Shield Video Integration Center significantly increases the Atlanta Police Department’s coverage and situational awareness of what is happening on the streets of Atlanta.  Through the Video Integration Center (VIC), APD officers will have the ability to monitor 24/7 video feeds of both public and private sector cameras using state-of-the-art “smart” analytical software, allowing for close coordination with Atlanta’s E911 center for a timely and efficient response to criminal and suspicious activities on our city streets.  The Operation Shield Video surveillance network also greatly enhances emergency preparedness by enabling police, fire, and emergency professionals to better assess, prepare, respond, and communicate before arriving on the scene of an incident.

The system is designed as an open platform allowing for the existing video surveillance cameras owned by private business partners such as the Georgia Aquarium ,GWCC, World of Coke, CNN Center, AmericasMart, State and federal assets such as TSA systems at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, Fusion Centers, and the CDC to be integrated and monitored at one central location (VIC).  This project includes regional participation from federal, state and metro-Atlanta agencies sharing video feeds from various disparate systems to enhance inter-agency collaboration.

The Operation Shield team is currently assessing cameras, both public and private, for integration into the project.  If your business has cameras you would like to explore the possibility of integrating private sector cameras into the Video Integration Center, please contact Grant Hawkins at the information below.

Emergency Text Alerts: This system utilizes a text alert platform for private security partners to receive real-time alerts and notifications from emergency dispatchers and the Atlanta Police Department.  Alerts include critical incident information, BOLO’s (be on the lookout) and other information in which private security can assist APD by becoming a force multiplier. This system is intended only for security personnel, building directors, and first responders in the city.

COMNET: Monitored 24/7 by the Atlanta Police Department, COMNET is Operation Shield’s exclusive two-way radio security communications network that allows direct communication between all Operation Shield members to issue alerts, assist in tracking, and provide comprehensive community support and safety promotion by virtue of a dedicated radio frequency. 
  
 To become an Operation Shield member please contact contact Grant Hawkins, Director of Programs  at 404.586.0180.