Smarter Patrolling Starts Here: ResourceRouter Webinar Recap

In our recent webinar titled “Smarter Patrol Starts Here: How Data-Driven Deployments Boosts Visibility, Impact, and Trust,” SoundThinking’s Director of ResourceRouter Brigid Menoni and Sergeant Jonathan Denotter of the Rocky Mount (NC) Police Department discuss modern patrol challenges and how data-driven deployment strategies are driving smart patrolling.

How ResourceRouter Supports Smart Patrolling

Patrol work is a constant exercise in balance. Officers must manage the steady flow of 9-1-1 calls while also finding time for proactive policing. The challenge is that “proactive” looks different depending on the agency and community. The reality is that no single definition fits all. What’s needed is a framework that allows officers to cover essential calls for service while also creating space for the proactive strategies that matter most to their agency and community.

ResourceRouter is built for officers in the field—accessible right from their MDTs or department-issued phones. Its purpose is simple but powerful: when officers aren’t tied up with 9-1-1 calls, it helps direct them to the areas where their presence can make the most impact. The system does this by drawing on community data and intelligence, turning it into actionable guidance.

For agencies, it’s also a measurement tool. Officers have always been out there doing the work—patrolling, engaging with residents, and focusing on priority areas—but until now, there hasn’t been a reliable way to track and quantify that effort. ResourceRouter closes that gap.

The City of Rocky Mount, NC, has been an early adopter, jumping in with strong engagement and momentum from the outset. To share what that looks like in practice, Sergeant Denotter walked through their experience and results with ResourceRouter.

Rocky Mount’s Results

Rocky Mount, NC—home to about 54,000 residents and staffed by 180 sworn officers—faced challenges with delayed crime reporting. According to Sergeant Denotter, ResourceRouter helped turn that around by shifting the department to real-time, data-driven deployment. The impact was clear in the early results:

• A 25% reduction in overall crime since implementation

• A 14% decrease in violent crime

• A 37% drop in property crime, the community’s most frequent issue

As well as:

• Improved officer visibility in neighborhoods not previously patrolled regularly
• Enhanced community trust through transparent reporting of patrol time
• Demonstrated force-multipling capabilities, making patrols more efficient and data-driven.

Real World Success Story

Sergeant Denotter described a persistent issue at a local park that became a hotspot for drug activity and prostitution after hours. In response to residents’ concerns, the community requested a camera trailer as a deterrent.

Rocky Mount PD took a two-pronged approach: they installed the camera trailer for added visibility and created a ResourceRouter patrol box to ensure consistent officer presence. Supervisors reinforced the effort by directing officers to engage with the area regularly.

The results were decisive—resident complaints dropped to zero, calls for service disappeared, and the issue has not resurfaced. Officers attribute the success to the combined power of technology, consistent presence, and proactive engagement.

The Patrol Gap: Beyond 9-1-1 Calls

ResourceRouter is built to close the patrol gap—whether an agency has 2,000 officers or just 50. It’s not a one-size-fits-all tool; it’s designed to adapt to each department’s unique needs and resource constraints.

So how does it work? At its core, ResourceRouter streamlines the complexity of patrol operations with:

• Directed Patrols: Daily hotspots (2.5 blocks x 2.5 blocks) generated from crime data, risk terrain analysis, and environmental factors. According to “The Koper Curve” method, officers spending just 15 minutes, 3 times per shift in a hotspot, yield up to 6 hours of crime deterrence.
• Ad Hoc Patrol Boxes: Customizable focus areas (e.g., parks with drug activity, schools, event venues) for short-term issues or citizen complaints.
• Map Layers & Check-In: Store operational info like gate codes, trespass letters, or school layouts. Officers log proactive community engagement for visibility and accountability.
• Insight Analytics: Automated CompStat-style reporting for command staff, supervisors, and even community transparency.

Leadership, Culture, & Trust

When residents see that officers not only recognize the issues affecting their daily lives but also spend time addressing them in those specific areas, it builds trust, reduces complaints, and drives crime down.

Sergeant Denotter stressed that supervisor buy-in was key to ResourceRouter’s success. Shift lieutenants and sergeants set the example by using the tool themselves, which made it a daily expectation across the department. Transparent reporting further strengthened credibility—GPS-backed data allowed the agency to respond to citizen concerns with facts.

With ResourceRouter, Rocky Mount PD was able to turn patrol data into meaningful outcomes, including:

• Deploying ad hoc patrol boxes around schools, wards, special events, and community concerns

• Integrating seamlessly with cameras, ShotSpotter, and ALPR systems

• Focusing on engagement—crime reduction came when officers got out of their cars, connected with residents, and built trust, rather than just “checking the box”

• Making reporting quick and sustainable—done in minutes instead of hours

Best Practices & Keys to Success

Sergeant Denotter offered six keys to successful adoption:

1. Secure supervisor buy-in early.
2. Leverage transparency for accountability.
3. Align with budget & resource needs.
4. Build tactical flexibility into deployment.
5. Emphasize officer engagement.
6. Integrate into your tech ecosystem.

Conclusion

ResourceRouter is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather a flexible, data-driven approach that helps agencies maximize patrol effectiveness, reduce crime, and foster community trust. For Rocky Mount PD, it’s become a “slice of the technology pie” that complements ShotSpotter, LPR, and cameras—proving that smarter deployment can deliver real-world results.

Watch the On-Demand Webinar Here