Customer Story
As the largest city in New Mexico, Albuquerque is both a vibrant cultural and transit hub, with more than 600,000 residents. Situated at two major interstates—I-40 and I-25—the city experiences a wide spectrum of crime and demands close coordination with state and federal law enforcement. Tasked with safeguarding this dynamic region is the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), comprised of nearly 900 sworn officers and 500 civilian personnel.
In recent years, the Department has been engaged in significant internal transformation, including working toward compliance with a federal consent decree. This pivotal period underscored the need for increased transparency, modern tools, and a robust technology infrastructure to foster a culture of operational excellence.
APD relied on an outdated and inefficient legacy records management system (RMS). From basic documentation to complex incident reporting, the system created constant obstacles that disrupted workflow and led to department-wide frustration.
Officers described the platform as clunky and difficult to navigate. “It was seriously caveman-like,” recalled Officer Dion Bethea. “You couldn’t search for anything clearly—everything was in a separate tab, nothing was connected.”
Key information such as property details, involved persons or vehicle data had to be entered and linked manually across multiple screens which led to delays and inaccurate data. The disjointed system slowed down routine reporting processes and led to critical details slipping through the cracks.
These inefficiencies weren’t just technical hurdles; they directly impacted officers’ time in the field. Marcos A. Roybal, a data analyst within APD’s Records Division shared, “An officer who is navigating a hard case that sucks up six hours of his time due to an arrest and having to sit down to write a report could be the longest and most frustrating part of your shift.” Officers found themselves spending valuable time navigating software frustrations rather than completing reports with clarity and speed, keeping them behind a desk instead of in the community.
The Records Division faced their own challenges. The previous system permissions were restrictive—for example, only the original author of a report could edit, which meant records personnel couldn’t step in or help when officers encountered issues. Routine support required layers of workaround just to progress and complete a report.
In addition, the system was unreliable with some reports failing to update or disappearing. “Sometimes reports would get lost, and updates wouldn’t go through—it was so bad, I can’t even remember how we operated on the old system,” shared Kathy Roybal-Nunez, Records Division Manager at APD.
The legacy RMS system at APD wasn’t just inefficient; it was undermining the Department’s ability to operate effectively and support its officers and personnel in their daily responsibilities.
To overcome the challenges of the outdated system—which slowed down operations and delayed access to critical information—APD turned to Mark43, the leading cloud-native public safety technology provider. In December 2021, they deployed Mark43’s modern, next-generation RMS built to streamline workflows, improve reporting, and enhance collaboration. As a result, officers, dispatch and records personnel now have the timely information they need to make safer and smarter decisions for the communities they serve.
At the core of Mark43 RMS is an intuitive, streamlined interface. Instead of having to jump between disconnected interfaces and manually link information, APD officers and records personnel can now complete reports in a logical, step-by-step format that mirrors how they work a case. “Previously, officers had to open multiple tabs and windows. Now everything is in a single linear format. It is more efficient and transparent,” shared Roybal. He added, “Mark43 supports integration with an open API so we can keep using other tech tools that complement our RMS, while funneling everything through our core system—Mark43.” This visibility and data sharing not only reduces errors but gives officers more confidence in the accuracy and completeness of their work.
“Mark43 supports integrations with an open API so we can keep using other tech tools that complement our RMS, while funneling everything through our core system-Mark43.”
—Marcos A. Roybal, Data Analyst
With reports now readily accessible, the Records Division can assist officers as issues arise without waiting on tickets or permissions. “With Mark43 RMS, we can help officers in real-time,” said Singleton. “If an officer calls the Records Division with an issue, one of us can jump into the report live and resolve it immediately. That kind of instant support wasn’t possible before,” shared Roybal-Nunez. “The live reports allow us to open and view a report with an officer on-the-go, which makes troubleshooting and problem-solving in real-time quicker. This empowers better assistance, especially compared to our old system which locked reports to individual owners. I can attest that this capability alone makes things so much easier when assisting officers,” added Singleton.
The modern system also eliminated many of the manual steps that previously slowed officers down. With Mark43, once an address, person or vehicle is entered into a report, the system automatically recognizes and populates that information, significantly reducing repetitive data entry. “We’re able to fill in the name one time on one document and it automatically fills in [the name] on every document… just reduces the amount of time that officers are using to fill out paperwork,” said Chief Harold Medina.
This intelligent reuse of data enables officers and personnel to complete reports and access mission-critical information more quickly. “I work within our Proactive Response Team and see a lot of repeat offenders. So being able to pull up their existing profile, click, and go—without having to re-enter a name, DOB, social, height—makes things a thousand times faster,” said Officer Bethea.
One of the most valued features for APD officers is photo integration and attachment capabilities. Officers can easily add and view images within a report, making it much quicker to locate and log key visual evidence, “The photo and search capabilities are a huge step in the right direction,” shared Officer Bethea.
By adopting Mark43 RMS, APD didn’t just modernize its records system, it replaced a source of delays and inefficiencies with a powerful platform that boosts accuracy, supports officers in the field, and fosters real-time collaboration between frontline personnel and the Records Division.
“Technology is constantly evolving, and this is an important step in the right direction for APD. I consider Mark43 a one-stop-shop, capturing the data we need for our workflows end to end.”
—Sergeant Michael Rico
“What used to be a multi-hour process has been dramatically reduced — in today’s day and age while we are trying to keep up with staffing and recruiting challenges, this has been very helpful.”
—Deputy Chief J.J. Griego
Since adopting Mark43’s RMS, APD has experienced a cultural shift that boosted morale and improved efficiency at every level, reinforcing a sense of pride and progress—which is especially important during ongoing staffing shortages. “Every time you can bring technology that works well, that makes an officer’s job better, it helps improve their morale… it helps them feel like they can get over the paperwork and… get out there on the streets and do what we do best,” said Chief Medina.Singleton added, “Having high and positive morale definitely helps prevent turnover and staffing issues, which is a challenge for law enforcement everywhere.” Roybal-Nunez also shared, “Without improved morale, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Our report writing and documentation process has come a long way, and the technology has helped us get there.”
Clear and intuitive workflows have helped reduce time-consuming tasks and eliminated guesswork around report writing.
“One of the things that decreases morale is confusion around documentation. Mark43 eases that burden and helps officers get their reports done faster—so they can finish their shift and get home.”
—Roybal, Data Analyst
The reduction in report writing fatigue has been one of the most immediate benefits for frontline officers.
“Mark43 helps us get back into the field faster. We’re not fumbling around trying to navigate an outdated interface. Now we check a box, and the report is done and we’re—as we say—10-8: back in the field, ready to go.”
—Officer Bethea
The user-friendly interface also gives newer officers an easier start.
“The recruits have more confidence stepping into the role because the technology is so easy to use. It’s laid out like a social media app—clean and simple—so they can pick it up fast.”
—Officer Bethea
Supervisors benefit from better visibility into report statuses, enabling more proactive support. “It tells me exactly where the report is—is it still in draft? Does it need my approval?—I just log in and know exactly what I need to do next and where to focus my attention.”
“Compared to our previous system, Mark43 classifies everything better. I know where reports are in the pipeline which allows me to manage my approvals more efficiently.”
—Sergeant Rico
Improvements in documentation have resulted in more complete cases, fewer dropped charges, and ultimately safer communities across New Mexico.
“The volume of documented crime can appear high on paper, but it’s not that crime in Albuquerque has increased—it’s that we became more efficient at documenting offenses and charges. Mark43 RMS has allowed us to build stronger cases and keep more offenders off the street.”
—Roybal, Data Analyst
The built-in checks and balances also improve accountability and report quality.
“Mark43 holds our officers accountable, which was eye-opening and caused a learning curve from the start but now they love it.”
—Roybal-Nunez, Records Division Manager
The enhanced search functionality has also improved community engagement and investigations. Roybal shared, “If someone comes in and is looking for a victim on this date, on this street, we don’t need the report number. We can look them up in Mark43 RMS and find it for them. This is a game changer—that intelligence helps us serve the community better—it’s a core part of what our Records Division does.”
“With modern tools and streamlined workflows, APD is better prepared for the future. It builds legitimacy within the police department when the public knows that the department does know what the problems are… and crime is being reduced.”
—Chief Medina
Real-time access to critical data supports faster, more informed decision-making.
“Being able to have that real-time data… is key for us to be able to immediately go out and address a problem early.”
—Chief Medina
“Cops hate change, but this is one of the programs that we’ve changed that has gained acceptance and that officers are utilizing more and more and are really in support of.”
–Chief Medina
“Moving over to Mark43 was one of the best moves we’ve made as a department. Now, we’re up to date, and technology continues to evolve to meet our needs. Whether it be searching case or CAD numbers or pulling in photos—it provides us with the information we need on scene to make smarter, safer decisions.”
–Officer Dion Bethea
Mark43 is the trusted leader in public safety technology, providing a secure, all-in-one platform for agencies to save time, stay compliant, and ensure community safety.
