SCRANTON — Law-enforcement officials packed a conference room at Scranton police headquarters on Saturday, remotely overseeing the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Parade.

In a nearby office, police were viewing a specific incident involving a suspicious individual making his way in and out of a building on Wyoming Avenue.

They were in constant communication with officers on the street, capable of approaching the suspicious individual and letting him know they were aware of his activity.

In addition, on-street officers would also get a visual of the man, making it easier to identify him.

In the event of an emergency, authorities in the conference room could access live and recorded body-worn camera footage from officers in the field, according to Police Chief Thomas Carroll.

Officers were also at the ready to respond to such incidents as missing people, which might include the elderly or children who wandered from parents during the cacophony of the parade, Carroll said.

Carroll said monitoring crime in real time is a matter of detecting anomalies, using cameras feeds, officer communications and data analysis from a central location.

Carroll pointed out that in addition to members of his department, state police were included in the monitoring efforts, with eyes glued to multiple live camera feeds.

Fire Department and Department of Public Works personnel were also available to consult or discuss events as they unfolded.

Multiagency collaboration offers law-enforcement officers the opportunity to discuss what they see, providing their perspective on events, Carroll said.

And although the department has been successful in real-time monitoring of crime during special events, Carroll said that as the city grows, so does the need for more space for such monitoring, especially during the city’s busiest times.

The city’s approval of the purchase of the Fidelity Bank building on North Washington Avenue as an annex to City Hall will make space available to the Police Department for a permanent real-time crime center.

Council approved the $1.85 million purchase in November.

A dedicated real-time crime center, or RTCC, proposed for the building would enhance public safety through the collection of centralized data and be available as needed, Carroll said.

Not only could it be used during major annual events such as La Festa Italiana and holiday parades, but also during smaller events such as First Friday and during business hours when there is an influx of people into the city.

State-of-the-art software

For the first time, the department used its Axon Fusus Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) Platform software during Saturday’s parade.

It funded the software through a $3.5 million federal appropriations grant under former Rep. Matt Cartwright in 2024 and purchased it in 2025.

Early versions of the software were originally developed after 9/11 to improve emergency response and data sharing. Those versions were not truly in “real time” and were cost prohibitive for smaller departments.

The software integrates multiple technology streams, including cameras, license plate readers and other information sources, to speed up investigations.

Carroll said officers are still learning how to use the new software but deemed its first-time use during the parade a success.

“It functioned as it was designed to,” he said.

In addition, the department is partnering with private businesses to use their surveillance camera footage to increase the footprint of their surveillance network and facilitate investigations, Carroll said.

He anticipates having dedicated officers using real-time technology, emphasizing proactive over reactive technology. For example, a hit-and-run incident would be quickly detected and officers would respond in real time, Carroll said.

Carroll emphasizes technology is simply a tool that police can use in conjunction with officers in the field.

“Leveraging technology makes us more efficient as a department,” he said.