Papal Security: The Delaware Valley Intelligence Center In Philadelphia Will Watch Over The City During Pope's Visit

Dan Cuellar at 6abc.com offers a report on how the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center (DVIC) in South Philadelphia will provide security during the Pope's visit to Philadelphia.

CENTER CITY (WPVI) --

All of the preparations and precautions for Pope Francis' arrival come down to one thing: safety for him and people in the city.

In operation since 2013, the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center has gained a lot of experience with keeping the residents of Philadelphia safe.

However, the pope's visit may prove to be the "Real Time Crime" department's biggest test yet.

Inspector Walt Smith of the Philadelphia Police Department said they're up for the challenge.

"Up on top, we have an array of Parkway cameras, we're gonna have several cameras along the parkway," said Smith.

With the assistance of high-tech cameras placed around the city, officers from city to federal levels are able to monitor all events taking place 24/7.

You can read the rest of the piece and watch the video news report via the below link:

http://6abc.com/religion/security-center-to-safeguard-pope-city-during-visit-/990204/

You can also read my Counterterrorism magazine piece on the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2014/02/fusing-counterterrorism-crime-and.html

Fusing Counterterrorism, Crime And Natural Disasters: My Piece On The Delaware Valley Intelligence Center In Philadelphia

My piece on the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center appears in the current issue of Counterterrorism magazine.

"The Delaware Valley Intelligence Center (DVIC) will provide tangible security benefits for our region," said Philadelphia Mayor Nutter during a tour of the $20 million dollar site. "At the most basic level, any first responder in the field with a radio will have the ability to connect with the DVIC and share real-time information with a host of agencies. This is a key step for our City and region, the sixth largest metro region in the Nation, in preparing to respond to emergency situations."

Located on the site of a former Defense Department logistics center in South Philadelphia, the stated primary mission of the DVIC is to collect, integrate, evaluate, analyze and disseminate intelligence about all types of hazards, including terrorist threats, criminal activity and weather events. The DVIC was established to house all of the region's assets together for counterterrorism, crime and natural disasters.

You can read the rest of the piece below:

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Note: The above photo is of Philadelphia Police Inspector Walt Smith, the Executive Director of the DVIC.  

You can click on the above photos to enlarge.