Del. Opens Intelligence Operations Center
The Delaware Department of Correction has opened its Intelligence Operations Center, a new statewide facility that helps to locate, assess and proactively act upon any security threats.
According to the DOC and Governor Carney, the IOC is the result of an investment into technology and people and addresses a critical need for better communication and information-sharing across correctional facilities. The need was highlighted in an independent review of security issues and conditions at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center following the February 2017 inmate riot during which Lieutenant Steven Floyd was murdered.
“We made a commitment after the 2017 uprising and murder of Lt. Steven Floyd that聽we were going to do聽the hard work to make our correctional system safer,”聽Governor John Carney said.聽 “This Intelligence Operations Center demonstrates how far the DOC has come by investing in technology and people, embracing a new organizational approach, and placing top-notch management across its facilities to better meet its important mission.聽 Thanks to a lot of hard work and this new cutting-edge facility, we have a much聽greater ability to know what’s going on behind the walls and that’s keeping our correctional officers and inmates in our custody safer than they have ever been.”
The Intelligence Operations Center has a team of 12 employees and encompasses surveillance cameras, human intelligence and other sources of information and tips with a special focus on gang-related affiliations and activity, contraband detection, organized crime enterprises, isolated threats and more.
“Consistently over the past three and a half years, the Department of Correction has been focused on strengthening safety and security,聽improving聽recruitment and retention of聽officers,聽improving programming and services for inmates, and modernizing our聽Intelligence operations through better intelligence gathering and sharing,”聽Delaware Correction Commissioner Claire DeMatteis said.聽 “This statewide Intelligence Operations Center and its聽experienced team of officers and analysts enables us to聽take another leap forward in leveraging聽human intelligence together with the latest聽technology聽to prevent another inmate-led riot that could harm, or worse, an officer, counselor, or inmate.”
