How Peoria PD achieved a 24.6 second virtual on‑scene time

About Peoria PD

The Peoria, AZ Police Department serves a 180-square-mile area spanning two counties, including residential neighborhoods, busy retail corridors, and large special events. The city’s size and complexity stretch available resources and require coordinated, technology-enabled response.

The department operates two precincts supported by a centralized Metro Division that includes specialized units and a Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC). One of the key features of their RTCC is the depth of their partnership with the Peoria Fire Department, strengthening cross-disciplinary coordination and improving response across police, fire, and EMS.

We spoke with Sergeant Michael Lesher, who leads the RTCC, about how aligning the right people and technology is delivering measurable benefits to the community.

The challenge

The larger coverage area created some challenges for the police department. Some calls-for-service required a 15-20 minute drive, only to arrive on scene and find the issue was relatively minor or no longer a problem. These low‑priority calls still tied up resources, which meant that other in‑progress incidents could be missed or go cold.

When officers arrived on scene, they would have limited information as well. This made it difficult to find suspects after the fact, and also created safety concerns for officers who lacked situational awareness during dangerous events.

Sgt. Lesher explained the problem and the potential solution: “We really can’t be everywhere at once, so we decided to rely on technology to bridge that gap.”

The solution: building a precision‑focused RTCC

Peoria designed and launched it’s Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) in March of 2025. Before opening, they toured several different agencies’ RTCCs to explore what was working and what was not. Their tour led them to decide on several key principles:

1. Technology is important, but the right people are essential: Peoria PD intentionally staffed their center with a deliberate 50/50 mix of sworn personnel (who bring investigative intuition) and professional staff (who add technical depth). Sgt Lesher explained the importance of this, “I can teach people how to use technology all day long, but officer intuition, you can’t teach that.”

2. Emphasize the importance of being virtually first on scene: When the RTCC is able to virtually arrive on the scene first through the use of city cameras and other sensors, they can establish situational awareness before officers arrive. This would help enhance officer safety, drive efficiency, and accelerate justice.

3. Single pane of glass: With a growing set of data sources, it was important to bring everything together into a single interface. This allows RTCC operators to move quickly and act as a funnel of information for officers arriving on scene.

Peoria selected Axon Fusus as their real-time crime center for its ability to unify live video and data from a wide variety of sources, quickly pull historical footage, and native integrations with Axon body‑worn cameras. The integration with Axon Evidence was also key, streamlining and securing the process of gathering and sharing digital evidence during investigations.

Lastly, the training provided from Axon was essential for the team as well. “The trainers spent the whole day with us, teaching us how to use the platform effectively. We went from being users of Fusus to mastering it because of that training."

All of this together enables what Peoria called, “precision policing.” This means they can find the right people at the right time and in the right places. Sgt Lesher said, “we’re not casting a wide net anymore. We’re being surgical.”

Results

In its first ten months, Peoria’s RTCC delivered measurable impact across efficiency, officer safety, and case solvability. The technology investment has translated into operational outcomes officers feel on every shift.

Faster intelligence, earlier decisions

With an average 24.63‑second virtual on‑scene time, RTCC operators routinely established eyes on incidents before patrol arrival. From March through December, the center assisted on 1,747 calls-for-service and was virtually first on scene 1,067 times (61.08% of calls).

Lesher explained, “Being virtually first on scene gives us a head start — and that changes everything.” That early intelligence allows responses to be more targeted and safer. Officers arrive on scene with situational awareness, knowing where suspects are, what they look like, and how they’re behaving.

Fewer unnecessary responses

The Real-Time Crime Center operators were able to clear 134 calls virtually (13.4 per month), using technology to confirm when a law‑enforcement response was not actually required. In a city where a single call could mean a 15‑minute drive (each way) for two officers, reducing those trips gives officers time back and means they can be more available for priority incidents.

Higher solvability

The RTCC supported 116 patrol arrests, many tied to incidents that would previously have relied on chance or delayed follow‑up. Live and historical video allowed operators to move cases from “no leads” to actionable intelligence in seconds.

The following incidents illustrate how Peoria uses Axon Fusus to help ensure suspects are apprehended.

• Hit‑and‑run, in progress: After a 911 call, RTCC operators immediately located the fleeing vehicle on traffic cameras and maintained continuous tracking as it moved across the city. When the vehicle crashed and became disabled, operators guided officers directly to the location, resulting in an arrest and recovery of narcotics. Without RTCC tracking, the case would likely have gone cold.

• Armed disorderly subject: During a volatile 911 call involving vehicles and a reported firearm, RTCC staff used real‑time camera feeds to visually confirm actions at the scene, broadcast accurate advisories to patrol, and guide officers to involved parties. Both subjects were safely arrested based on RTCC confirmation.

• Officer safety during arrests: In multiple incidents involving non‑compliant suspects, RTCC personnel actively monitored officers’ body‑worn cameras, provided overwatch, and relayed real‑time updates until additional units arrived and scenes were stabilized.

The Real-time crime center isn’t just being used to track down suspects, it has also been a vital path for finding missing persons. For instance, a call came in about a missing elderly person with dementia. After patrol searches came back negative, RTCC operators continued extended live monitoring. They located the individual on camera and coordinated with aerial support to recover the person safely, avoiding further exposure to risk.

Bridging police, fire, and EMS

Peoria embedded fire personnel directly into the RTCC, closing long‑standing communication gaps. Many other agencies have tried to use similar multi-disciplinary models but struggled with technical or cultural barriers. Peoria managed to overcome these challenges because they didn't just give them a desk, they integrated Fire into their workflows and gave them the same Fusus tools from day one.

Over six months, the RTCC had 97 incidents with documented fire operational impact. Being virtually first on scene has helped ensure the right people and tools arrive at the right location. “Fire can really see the scene before they even arrive.”

The bi-directional communication abilities of the Axon Body 4 camera have also proven beneficial. When police officers arrive to the scene first and find injured people, the fire personnel in the RTCC is able to triage patients remotely. Not only can he see what the patient looks like, he can ask questions and get answers. Once this information is received, he can relay that critical information to responding EMS units, saving precious time when people need medical aide.

Integrating a fire representative into the RTCC is a great example of one of Lesher’s keys to success: “The real-time crime center is not just a police project, it’s a city project.” This mentality has helped to serve the people of Peoria. “At the end of the day, the community is getting a faster, more informed response.”

Conclusion and Looking Ahead

The Peoria RTCC has been recognized by the National Real Time Crime Center Association (NRTCCA) for it's positive impact on their community. They received the DICE Development Award (honoring their rapid growth and best practices), the DICE Collaboration award (recognizing their groundbreaking partnerships), and the National RTCC Supervisor of the Year (awarded to Sergeant Michael Lesher).

Peoria credits the success to far more than software:

• The Right staffing model: Having that 50/50 mix of professional staff and sworn officers.

• High quality training: On‑site training accelerated mastery of Axon Fusus workflows.

• Citywide buy‑in: Early engagement with IT, traffic engineering, facilities, fire, and city leadership kept momentum high.

• Sharing the results: By tracking and sharing success stories and outcomes, Sgt Lesher has been able to build even greater buy-in from around the community.

What’s next? Peoria is preparing to expand their drone-as-first-responder (DFR) capabilities and continues exploring analytics that can surface critical activity across video feeds in real time.

For Sgt. Lesher and his team, the RTCC is a force multiplier — one that shortens response times, improves officer and community safety, and helps solve cases that once stalled due to time, distance, or limited information.