September 28, 2026
Police work has always depended on what an officer can see, hear, and learn before stepping into a call. Chief Deputy Michael Fowler sees that same job through the lens of a career that began with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office in 1994. The pace of information has changed sharply since then. The responsibility to make sound decisions has not.
Fowler joins Mark Siwiec and Corey James Moran after they toured the Regional Investigative Operations Center. The hosts came away struck by the scale of the room, the screens, and the people working behind them. Episode 258 looks past the science fiction feel of the space and asks a more useful question. How can technology help a deputy get better information when the call is already moving fast?
The Regional Investigative Operations Center opened in December 2025. Fowler describes it as a place built to gather information in one setting, then send useful details to deputies who are already responding. A description, a vehicle detail, a photo of a suspect, or a piece of location information can change the next decision an officer makes.
That support matters because the person driving toward a scene has plenty to manage already. Fowler explains that the center can send information directly to a phone or in car equipment, allowing the deputy to stay focused on the call instead of trying to sort every lead alone. The goal is not to make a decision for the person in the field. The goal is to give that person a clearer picture before arrival.
The work also reflects a sharp contrast with the tools Fowler remembers from his early years. He recalls a time when technology was limited, cell phones were just appearing, and information could require more manual effort. The new center compresses some of that work into minutes, but it still depends on trained people who can separate a useful lead from noise.
The center is not simply a room full of hardware. Analysts work through social media, vehicle information, and other available records to help connect pieces of a case. Fowler points out that people sometimes post material online that becomes relevant to an investigation. The value comes from finding it quickly enough to support the deputy who needs it now.
Speed sits at the center of the conversation. A missing person case, a report of a vehicle leaving a scene, or a developing public safety call can create many small leads at once. The center gives staff a place to follow those leads while the deputy stays on the road and keeps attention on the immediate situation.
Fowler makes clear that this is not a project reserved for one office. He describes a collaborative space where agencies can work together when a case calls for it. Greece Police Department, federal partners, and other law enforcement teams can share information and sit together around the same problem.
The arrangement gives the center a broader purpose than one dispatch operation. It creates a place where the right people can compare information quickly during a major incident or a complicated investigation. Fowler also acknowledges the ongoing challenge behind the screens. New technology requires steady funding, careful choices, and a willingness to keep up as the tools change.
Drones are another part of that changing picture. Fowler describes them as a way to get eyes on a scene before a deputy reaches it. The purpose is practical. A drone can show staff if a reported issue is still active, where people are moving, or if the situation has changed before a vehicle arrives.
He offers a simple expressway example. A caller may report what sounds like a fender bender, then the cars leave before a deputy arrives. A drone can help staff understand what is happening and keep resources from chasing a call that has already resolved. It can also give responding deputies a clearer view when the risk is still present.
Fowler says the next phase includes a planned Penfield location, where a site has already been identified. The technology is moving quickly, but the focus stays close to the ground. Faster information can mean safer decisions, better use of staff time, and less uncertainty for the person driving toward the call.
New tools also bring real public questions. Fowler addresses the concern that license plate readers or cameras mean every person is being watched. He says those tools are not being used as speed enforcement cameras. Their use is connected to public safety work and the information needed in an active investigation.
The conversation turns to artificial intelligence too. Fowler does not frame the answer as blind enthusiasm or automatic rejection. He argues for care, rules, and accountability as the tools develop. Technology can help solve crimes and support first responders, but public trust still depends on how it is used.
Fowler closes on the core purpose of the work: keeping people safe. The Regional Investigative Operations Center may look like something from a future movie, but its daily value is more direct. People gather information, share it with the people who need it, and help a deputy walk into a difficult moment better prepared.
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