The Beverly Hills Police Department has spent roughly $1 million on new technology for its dispatch center, an upgrade that city officials say will speed up 911 response times, expand camera integration, and strengthen enforcement against noisy vehicle exhaust, according to a Beverly Press report by Tabor Brewster.

The department unveiled the overhauled facility on Tuesday, June 23, at the Beverly Hills Police Station. The dispatch center handles more than 200,000 emergency and non-emergency calls each year.

The project was funded through a public safety budget increase, according to the Beverly Press, though the city has not identified the specific budget line item or the council vote that authorized the spending.

What the upgrade connects to

The overhaul aligns with several items in the city's fiscal year 2025–26 strategic priorities document: expanding closed-circuit television cameras and automated license plate readers, upgrading call-center software, and deploying an automated vehicle location system that routes the closest patrol unit to each call. The city has not specified which of those elements are part of the $1 million dispatch project versus broader departmental goals.

New chief oversaw the division

The unveiling came the same week the city announced Captain Max Subin, a 27-year BHPD veteran, would become chief of police effective Friday, June 27. As captain, Subin oversaw the Administrative Services Division — the unit directly responsible for the dispatch center, along with Communications and Budget. He succeeds Chief Mark Stainbrook, who retired Thursday, June 26, after nearly five years.

Stainbrook, in a Beverly Hills Courier interview published June 25, cited "quality-of-life issues like homelessness, street racing and loud cars" as ongoing challenges for the department, providing context for the dispatch upgrade's focus on exhaust enforcement.

Part of a broader tech push

The dispatch project is the latest in a series of BHPD technology investments. On Monday, April 7, the department launched its "Drone-in-a-Box" program, stationing drones at fixed docking locations for deployment within 90 seconds of a call.

The department has not announced a public demonstration or follow-up review date for the new dispatch technology.

Residents can reach the BHPD's non-emergency line at 310-550-4951.