Cutting-edge tech boosts safety across the Texas Panhandle
The Amarillo Police Department marked a significant milestone on Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly completed Amarillo Regional Crime Center.
Located on the fifth floor of police headquarters, the high-tech facility centralizes advanced tools —such as drones and license plate readers — to enhance officer safety and improve public security across Amarillo and the 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle.
Acting Police Chief Jimmy Johnson highlighted the center’s long development process, which began in 2019 with the department’s crime analysts.
“We started planting the seeds for this years ago, working our way up to where we are now,” Johnson said. “We’re still evolving and growing, but the foundation was laid back then.”
The physical transformation of the space began in 2020 with the demolition of the existing floor, leading to a significant investment supported by grants and city funding.
The push to modernize the department’s investigative tools was largely driven by former Chief Martin Birkenfeld, who prioritized integrating technology into policing.
“This center is just the beginning of how we evolve with new technology to serve our community,” Birkenfeld previously stated. “It’s going to move our department forward technology-wise for years to come.” The new center ensures that officers are equipped with the best resources to streamline investigations and improve response times.
How technology is transforming investigations
Before the implementation of high-tech solutions, tracking stolen vehicles and identifying suspects was a slow, inefficient process. Officers once relied on paper lists of stolen cars from the past 24 hours, manually searching for them while patrolling the city. “Years ago, we’d get a piece of paper listing stolen autos and then just drive around hoping to spot them,” Johnson recalled.
Now, with license plate readers (LPRs) scanning millions of plates each month, the process is far more precise and efficient.
“We feed that information into our system, and if a stolen vehicle passes an LPR camera, we’re notified immediately,” Johnson said. “Officers can respond directly to that location without wasting time.”
This real-time data access enables officers to act quickly and decisively, preventing stolen vehicles from being used in additional crimes and increasing recovery rates.
At the core of the center’s success is its team of crime analysts, currently consisting of one supervisor and three analysts, with plans to expand to full 24/7 coverage. “We’re not there yet, but that’s the goal,” Johnson noted. “We’d likely need around nine analysts to provide round-the-clock monitoring.”
Haley Hernandez, Crime Data Analyst Supervisor and former Marine Corps signals intelligence analyst, explained how her team supports officers.
“Our job is to provide officers with critical information as fast as possible,” she said. “We sit behind computers our entire shift, pulling data from various databases, which allows officers to focus on real-time policing.”
The analysts remain constantly tuned in to police communications, ready to assist in critical situations. “If there’s a kidnapping or robbery, we immediately pull up relevant resources — whether that’s camera footage, body cams, or other available tools,” Hernandez added. Their work ensures officers on the ground have instant access to the intelligence they need to make informed decisions.
Immediate results and ongoing expansion
Deputy City Manager and Public Safety Director Andrew Freeman emphasized the immediate impact the center has had on crime-solving efforts.
“We saw an impact right away,” Freeman said. “The technology has already helped officers recover stolen vehicles faster, locate missing children using infrared drone technology, and even get eyes on our officers in dangerous situations much more quickly.”
In addition to crime prevention, these tools help mitigate staffing shortages.
“It makes everything more efficient, so officers can resolve an incident faster and move on to the next call,” Freeman explained. For example, rather than sending multiple officers to an unfolding situation, a drone can provide an overhead view, reducing response times and the need for additional personnel.
Lieutenant Shane Chadwick, Commander of the Amarillo Regional Crime Center, traveled extensively across the country to study best practices before shaping Amarillo’s approach.
“I went from Florida through Mississippi, New Orleans, Texas, Arizona, California — you name it,” Chadwick said. “I wanted to find the best tech solutions that could work in real time for Amarillo.”
Chadwick recalled a recent case that demonstrated the center’s capabilities.
“We had a snippet of security footage from a convenience store tied to a serious case. Our analysts paired that with intersection cameras and an LPR hit, leading us straight to the suspect — someone we might not have caught otherwise,” he said.
Managing massive amounts of data is another challenge.
“Our LPRs generate about 13 to 15 million plate reads a month, but we only store data for 30 days,” Chadwick explained. “That’s 13 million needles in a haystack — and we have to know exactly which needle we’re looking for.”
The ability to sort and analyze this data quickly is crucial to the center’s efficiency.
Balancing public safety with privacy concerns
While the Amarillo Regional Crime Center has significantly improved police operations, concerns over surveillance and privacy remain a priority for the department. Chief Johnson reassured the public that constitutional rights are at the foundation of every decision made regarding technology use.
“Everything we’ve done — every plan, every piece of technology — has been grounded in serving, protecting, and defending the Constitution,” Johnson stated. “We took an oath to uphold those rights.”
Hernandez emphasized that the department operates strictly within legal guidelines. “We only access data that we’re legally allowed to,” she said. “We don’t tap phones or place cameras where they shouldn’t be. Everything we do relies solely on public records and internally obtained information.”
As the crime center expands, the department is committed to maintaining transparency and accountability to ensure the technology serves the community while upholding privacy protections.
A bold step forward in modern policing
Although the Amarillo Regional Crime Center is newly opened, its technology-driven approach is already delivering real results, with expansion plans in the works.
“We want people to know that if someone tries to commit a crime here, they’re far more likely to get caught,” Johnson said. “Our hope is that word gets out — Amarillo isn’t a place where criminals can hide.”
Freeman reinforced the city’s commitment to continuous improvement.
“This is an ongoing project,” he said. “We’re dedicated to expanding our capabilities and making this center as effective as possible for the people of Amarillo.”