Halo Summary:
San Jose has pulled off something rare — they’ve solved every homicide in the city for three years straight. That’s not luck. It’s a smart mix of tech, data, and community partnership that’s giving their police force a serious edge. While the national average clearance rate is around 58%, San Jose’s sitting at 100%. Here’s how they’re doing it:
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Real-Time Crime Center (Fūsus): A system that brings in live data from surveillance, license plates, and more so investigators can respond faster and smarter.
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License Plate Readers: Helping track suspect vehicles and confirm timelines.
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ShotSpotter: Instantly pinpoints gunfire so officers can respond on the spot.
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DNA + Genealogy Tech: Even cold cases are being cracked using advanced DNA tools and family tree matching.
San Jose’s success shows what’s possible when tech and teamwork come together.
“Having a central nervous center in the department that has real-time data on everything is huge…Where is every officer? Where are our suspects moving? Where’s the license plate going on that vehicle? Being able to react in real time with good data allows us to move faster, spend less time on investigations, and gives us better evidence. Basically, really, leveraging technology.”
– Mayor Matt Mahan, quoted in the Washington Examiner
Wow!
We’re having some exciting success with LPRs