Seattle’s real-time crime center: A Civil rights, civil liberties, and governance audit

Across the country, law enforcement agencies are adopting real-time crime centers (RTCCs) — centralized hubs that bring together a variety of surveillance technologies and data, including CCTV cameras, license plate readers, and criminal justice databases. RTCCs promise to help agencies use the surveillance tools and data they have more effectively. Yet they also pose significant and unique risks, from intrusions on privacy and potential misuse to gaps in oversight and accountability.

In May 2026, the Seattle Mayor’s Office retained the Policing Project to conduct an independent civil rights and civil liberties review of Seattle’s RTCC. The purpose of this review was to evaluate Seattle’s existing policies and identify gaps, and provide recommendations to increase transparency, strengthen oversight, and mitigate risks to civil rights and civil liberties.

Our review did not address whether or not the RTCC should be expanded — a question that is for the Seattle community and its elected officials to decide.

Three Key Findings and Recommendations

1. By Connecting the City’s Cameras, Seattle’s RTCC Enables the Tracking of People’s Movements

Much of the power of Seattle’s RTCC stems from how it combines multiple technologies, especially public and private camera networks. This, in turn, can enable the tracking of individuals’ movements — a capability that can reveal sensitive information about a person's life, from where they shop or pray to whom they visit. This form of surveillance is particularly intrusive of individual privacy and, with some exceptions, should be conducted only pursuant to a warrant.

2. Data is Vulnerable to Unwanted Sharing; Strict Retention Rules are Vital

Once surveillance data is collected and stored, there is no guarantee that it won't be obtained by outside agencies seeking to use it for purposes contrary to Seattle’s laws and policies. This can occur through various means, from federal subpoenas and public records requests to data breaches. To safeguard individuals’ privacy, the city should shorten retention windows and end the practice of storing case-file footage indefinitely.

3. Informal Guardrails Must Be Formalized Into Binding Policy

Many of the Seattle Police Department's current RTCC guardrails exist only as informal practices rather than binding, enforceable policies, leaving them vulnerable to change without public oversight. Seattle should close these governance gaps by establishing express, written rules that define what tools and features may be used and how.

Achieving public safety while protecting civil rights and civil liberties requires ongoing transparency, accountability, and active civic participation. We invite residents, policymakers, and advocates to read our complete audit report to explore all 19 recommendations.