From Clackamas Sheriff Dept.: Last fall the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office adopted a new system for records management and report entry, Mark43.
At the recent Sheriff’s Office Awards Banquet, Sheriff Craig Roberts honored the employees who helped select, implement and launch it in record time.
“The new system better fits our needs,” said Capt. James Rhodes, who was part of the Mark43 transition team. “It allows our deputies to be more efficient when reporting — creating more time for proactive policing and community engagement. It’s also streamlined the work for our Records Unit, which runs 24/7. We’ve seen an increase in self-initiated activity and community contacts since the switch. Because this new system is faster and easier, deputies are spending more time on the street.”
At the May 5 Awards Banquet, the Sheriff’s Office recognized the 24 members of the Mark43 transition team, pulled from across the Sheriff’s Office divisions, as well as members of the Records Unit who successfully made the transition while maintaining those 24/7 operations. Key in the Awards Banquet recognition was the speed of the transition.
In May 2017, the Sheriff’s Office gave notice: It would leave its former records-management system by the end of the year.
It was a popular decision, but it was also a bold promise: It gave the Sheriff’s Office just seven months to get Mark43 up and running. The core employee teams included an Agency Sponsor, Program Manager, Communications Manager and Implementation and Training Team — two dozen Sheriff’s Office employees in all.
In seven months they negotiated a five-year, million-dollar contract, completed a “Train-the-Trainer” course, and engaged in product testing.
On Dec. 13, the group launched Mark43. And in two weeks, the training team taught the entire office how to use it.
“We’re told no one has ever launched a Mark43 product that fast,” said Capt. Rhodes. “The training time and staff cost to get it running were a dramatic improvement. The previous system required 3,052 hours in overtime and comp time. Mark43 took less than 370. The savings for the taxpayer are going to be substantial — now and long-term.”
The Oregon City, Milwaukie, West Linn, Canby, Gladstone, and Molalla Police Departments have also successfully transitioned to Mark43.
The system is compliant with the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), used by U.S. law enforcement agencies to collect and report crime data.