CCTV – Facts and Figures

Here are some additional facts about the Joint Operations Command Center and the CCTV system:

• The CCTV network has 14 “ruggedized” cameras mounted on buildings primarily in downtown DC. The cameras are powered by an external power source, but also have six-hour battery backup.
• The cameras transmit encrypted analog images over a secure, wireless network into the JOCC, where they are converted into digital images and projected onto flat-screen monitors via computer.
• The JOCC includes 22 flat-screen monitors, which can project a variety of inputs (CCTV, cable television, videoconferencing, the Internet, other computer screens).
• The JOCC has approximately 50 computer-equipped stations for MPDC personnel and other law enforcement agencies that may participate in a joint operation. A shared computer system allows individuals in the center to input and retrieve information.
• In addition to supporting the CCTV system, the JOCC is used for a variety of other purposes, including crime briefings in which Department leaders can access crime maps and other information to review trends and develop strategies. The JOCC is also used for sharing time-sensitive information with the seven police districts and other MPDC units via videoconferencing.
• The JOCC is one component of the MPDC’s Synchronized Operations Command Complex, which supports police operations in the District on a continuous basis.
• Access to the JOCC is controlled by bar-coded identification cards and a palm-print biometric recognition system.
• The motto of the JOCC – as determined by Chief of Police Charles H. Ramsey and inscribed on one of its walls – is the rallying cry issued by President Bush shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11th: “We will not tire. We will not falter. We will not fail.”