The Los Angeles Police Department Real Time Crime Analysis and Response (RACR) center is a living, breathing, 24-hour a day command post.

The unit operates at a location near the edge of downtown and it's a way for officers to keep an eye on crime and police placement throughout the city.   If an emergency situation takes place at an area mall, RACR can track all calls relating to the incident and can pinpoint where the nearest patrol cars are.

If a terrorist incident happens overseas, employees can watch the event in real time on network television and can dispatch local LAPD officers to various parts in the city if they anticipate the need for a local response.   And several months back, when an armed shooter opened fire at LAX and all available officers were dispatched to the airport, the RACR helped re-route other nearby officers to answer existing service calls.

It's not an easy job and it certainly keeps employees on their toes- but they love what they do.

The RACR also has access to video surveillance cameras from throughout the city.  Lots of public places, housing projects and other areas are watched 24-hours a day, they said.   Some say this is a little bit too "big brother" for comfort, while others say it is a huge help when it comes to tracking and combating crime.

The LAPD said they're not tracking specific people and they're not keeping tabs on demographic info.  They say it more allows them to keep track of different pieces in the citywide chess board.   If they are wanting to find a specific person, that's just a few button clicks away.   The people who work here reportedly have access to secret intelligence info and open source intelligence, which helps them locate suspects.