Beach police planning to link public, private video streams

Written by Janetssy Lugo on February 19, 2025

The Miami Beach Police department is looking into acquiring Fusus, a software that offers situational awareness and combines private and public video streams into a single feed.

On Feb. 3, Mayor Steven Meiner brought an item to the city commission to discuss acquiring the software.

Axon Enterprise’s official website says Axon is “the leading global developer of personal and public safety technology.”

As cited in the commission memo accompanying the legislation, according to Axon, “Fusus is a map-based interface that combines private and public video streams into a single feed, enabling greater situational awareness and a common operating picture, with their Fusus product being the first truly open Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC).”

“Fusus, as you know,” said Wayne Jones, the city’s chief of police, “is a software we’d like to use in our RTIC, real time intelligence center…. The whole idea is to use this process to be able to ingest video, not only from the many cameras we have throughout the city, but also from private entities as well.”

Additionally, according to the memo, Fusus “streamlines emergency and incident management by fusing all of a community’s video assets – both public and private – into a single platform, which enables an RTCC to efficiently gather intelligence,” and provide first responders with the tools to monitor and quickly respond to situations.

Currently, says the memo, the city has Axon body-worn cameras, Axon Tasers and Axon Evidence. Adding Axon Fusus would “facilitate the seamless integration of community cameras, Axon Air (for drones), Axon Evidence, Axon Taser, and even real-time GPS vehicle location information which the city currently has installed in all city vehicles through Track Star.”

Mayor Meiner said he has seen firsthand how in other municipalities it is possible to see where every police car is in the city.

“The Fusus platform, we’re aware of it,” said Captain Delvin Brown from the police department, “but what you’re describing is another feature, but now that it’s under the Axon umbrella, we think that … we’ll be able to incorporate that platform to … highlight some of the things you just mentioned.”

Captain Brown said the police department is in the process of obtaining a quote.

Chief Jones noted the police department uses its Track Star AVL (automatic vehicle location) to know where police cars are at any time, but “it is an imperfect system. The whole idea is to, once we do secure or procure Fusus, we use that software to sort of ingest more accurate information and then give that real-time information you’re looking for where our cars are at.”

Commissioners unanimously agreed that the police department proceed with Fusus and incorporate the AVL data.