PATERSON — The Paterson Police Department has launched a new Real Time Operations Center, or RTOC, and expanded its drone program, moves state officials say are part of a broader effort to modernize policing in the city while the department remains under New Jersey Attorney General oversight.
According to state officials, the new operations center is designed to serve as a centralized command hub that brings together multiple public-safety technologies in one place. The system pulls in citywide camera feeds, gunshot detection technology, automatic license plate readers, and body-worn camera analytics, giving officers and supervisors quicker access to information during unfolding incidents. The Attorney General’s Office described the RTOC as the department’s “technological backbone,” intended to improve real-time coordination and help police track incidents as they develop across the city.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said the launch marks a major change for a department that, in his view, operated too long without tools commonly used in other large cities. “The launch of the Real Time Operations Center and expanded drone capabilities represents a turning point for public safety in Paterson,” Platkin said, arguing that the technology will improve information-sharing, safety, coordination, and accountability. Isa Abbassi, executive director of the Office of Policing Strategy and Innovation, said the rollout reflects the department’s progress under state oversight and described the new systems as part of a deliberate push to modernize operations while using technology responsibly.
State officials said Paterson’s drone program has already been in use for about five years through the department’s Emergency Response Team for search-and-rescue missions, tactical deployments, and other public-safety work. Under the expansion, the drone fleet will now be available to multiple units for aerial awareness during emergencies, investigations, and large-scale incidents. Officials also said drones will be used for crash reconstruction and crime-scene documentation, including overhead imagery and three-dimensional mapping, which they say can improve scene management and shorten roadway closures.
Officer in Charge Patrick Murray said the new systems will change how the department handles fast-moving calls. “The RTOC and drone program give our officers real time insight when seconds matter most,” Murray said, adding that the tools should improve coordination across divisions, enhance officer safety, and allow more precise responses. State officials framed the launch not as a standalone equipment upgrade, but as the product of years of operational change inside the department.
The announcement also highlighted Paterson’s use of the Fusus platform, which allows residents and businesses to voluntarily share surveillance footage with police. Officials said that can expand investigative capacity and improve situational awareness before officers arrive at a scene. The public-facing Connect Paterson site describes both a camera registry and optional camera sharing, allowing owners to decide whether police may access their camera feeds during an emergency near their location.
The rollout comes against the backdrop of New Jersey’s takeover of day-to-day Paterson police operations, which began on March 27, 2023, after years of controversy and accountability concerns. Scrutiny intensified after the fatal police shooting of Najee Seabrooks during a mental health crisis. That supersession was later challenged in court. An appellate court ruled in late 2024 that the Attorney General lacked authority to take full control without the city’s consent, but the New Jersey Supreme Court, in a July 23, 2025 decision, upheld the takeover in Paterson’s specific case based on legislative action tied to the city’s oversight.
State officials tied the technology rollout to reported public-safety gains. The Attorney General’s announcement cited Paterson Police CompStat data showing shooting incidents down more than 40 percent and shooting victims down more than 50 percent compared with the same period the year before, along with declines in some other violent-crime categories. At the same time, the expansion of real-time surveillance tools has raised broader concerns in other cities, where civil-liberties advocates have argued that rapidly expanding camera networks, analytics, and private-camera integration can outpace clear rules on data retention, access, and oversight.
For Paterson residents, the launch marks a clear move toward more technology-centered policing under state supervision. Supporters say the systems could improve speed, coordination, and officer awareness during emergencies. Critics, looking at similar systems elsewhere, warn that these tools can expand surveillance power unless the governing rules are explicit, enforceable, and transparent.