MURFREESBORO TENN. (WTVF) — Crime happens all the time, in many forms.
And the Murfreesboro Police Department is turning to intelligence-led policing — for an extra set of eyes.
“In 2024, there were over 400 successes from our Real Time Crime Center, including arrests, leads, warrants, and things of that nature,” Murfreesboro Police Department spokesperson Larry Flowers said.
There’s no escaping the advancement of technology, and the Murfreesboro Police Department is taking advantage of it.
“Including our license plate readers, our public safety cameras, and gunshot detection technology,” Flowers said.
It was a combination of the department’s technology that assisted the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office in identifying the person who illegally dumped a mattress and box spring off Florence Road.
The suspect was arrested and charged with aggravated criminal littering, along with several other charges.
“Whether crime is less serious or serious, this particular Crime Center has aided in solving so many cases,” Flowers said.
With the success of the Real Time Crime Center, the Murfreesboro City Council last week approved 22 additional public safety cameras to go around the city — adding to the department’s existing fleet of 15 cameras.
“Some may say it’s Big Brother watching. We don’t look at it that way,” Flowers said. “We’re looking at the safety of the citizens of Murfreesboro, and these tools are aiding those citizens.”
The police department is also working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation in hopes of adding additional license plate readers to state routes.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at aaron.cantrell@newschannel5.com
The line ''see something, say something" took on new meaning recently in Bowling Green. Two alert neighbors helped tip police to stolen Corvettes from the nearby assembly plant. That led law enforcement to find 8 stolen Corvettes worth over $1 million. We may all be able to learn a little lesson from this.
-Lelan Statom
