Asheville -- June 3, 2026: APD Facing intense public scrutiny and a deeply divided community, the Asheville Police Department (APD) is shifting its public relations strategy. The department is launching a series of bi-weekly public tours and educational sessions inside its upcoming Real Time Intelligence Center (RTIC) starting tomorrow, Thursday, June 4, 2026.
The decision to invite the public inside the facility comes on the heels of a highly contested Asheville City Council vote on May 12, 2026, which greenlit a $1.14 million federal grant to fund the center. The fierce public response to the center’s approval—which saw residents waiting hours to protest the surveillance expansion—prompted city leadership to push for radical transparency to ease civil liberty anxieties.
An Empty Space with a Big Blueprint
While the department is pulling back the curtain, officials are managing expectations about what visitors will actually see. Because the center is in its earliest stages of technical infrastructure development, the physical space is largely empty. The RTIC is not projected to be fully operational until the spring of 2027.
Instead of a sci-fi command center, early attendees will be shown a blueprint of how the department intends to utilize the space. APD staff will walk the public through the planned integration of three core surveillance technologies via the Axon Fusus platform:
Automated License Plate Readers (LPRs): Tracking vehicular data along major city corridors.
Targeted Drone Deployment: Utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles for tactical oversight during active incidents.
Context Cameras: Gathering real-time visual data from high-traffic public areas.
Addressing the Privacy Elephant in the Room
The primary goal of these bi-weekly sessions is direct outreach regarding privacy rights. Activists and residents have voiced sharp concerns over the potential for over-surveillance and data security in downtown Asheville.
During the tours, APD representatives plan to detail the strict data-retention policies and constitutional guardrails guiding the unit, emphasizing that visitors will not have access to live tracking or active investigations for security reasons. Notably, staff will explicitly emphasize that the Fusus integration software will not feature biometric or facial recognition capabilities—a major point of contention during the May City Council hearings.
How to Attend
The educational sessions are free and open to all Asheville residents, though availability is strictly capped based on registration volume to accommodate the secure police facility.
Residents interested in booking a slot for an upcoming tour are instructed to register by calling the Asheville Police Department directly at 828-259-5881.