Gasparilla 2026: Inside Tampa PD’s Real-Time Crime Center helping keep crowds safe

TAMPA, Fla. - Officials from more than 30 different agencies will work together in the Tampa Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) to monitor crowds this Gasparilla season. 

Dig deeper:

Whether it’s live video from CCTV cameras or from the department’s new high-tech drones, officials in the RTCC will be watching for suspicious activity, disturbances and traffic issues during both the Children’s Gasparilla Parade and the Gasparilla Parade of Pirates. 

READ: Tampa Police Department rolls out virtual reality training pods to practice de-escalation techniques

"We have different assets that we can deploy to assist officers in the field. And like I said that communication, assistance between all those different agencies is very important and getting information out in real time quickly to officers when there is something occurring, whether it's a suspicious person or a missing child," Tampa Police Sgt. James Valentino said of the importance of the RTCC. 

What you can do:

All week, TPD and Tampa Fire Rescue have been encouraging parents to take a picture of their kids before the festivities start Saturday. During Tuesday’s news conference, Tampa Fire Chief Barbara Tripp said lost children is one of the main calls they often get. 

MORE: Law enforcement to protect Tampa by land, air and sea as pirates pillage and plunder during Gasparilla

Thanks to TPD’s new technology called Prepared 911, parents could share pictures of their lost children with dispatchers this Gasparilla season. Through this new system, dispatch can text a link to a caller’s phone, which allows him or her to send pictures or start a live video to show what’s going on around them. 

READ: Tampa Police Department rolls out AI technology to help officers, dispatchers

"We will be working with Prepared 911," Valentino said Thursday. "So, if there is information coming in, we can use that as a tool to get that information out quickly and faster than in the past."