The success of the NYPD's Real Time Crime Center has prompted the department to expand its operation.

The Real Time Crime Center is where officers access information needed by detectives. The information is processed in minutes all while the investigation is active. Before the center existed it would take hours or days for police to access criminal records and parole and probation files. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says since the center was launched in July, it has been extremely helpful in solving cases. According to the NYPD, 74 percent of homicides were solved last year because of the center. Two such cases involved the shooting deaths of two officers, one in Brooklyn and one in the Bronx.

The mayor and commissioner plan to expand the center's capabilities by opening what they call the country's most advanced DNA lab. Detectives will also have the use of wireless laptops so they can have remote access to the center's data.