By: Jill Doss-Raines
THOMASVILLE — Nearly a year after a cyberattack exposed vulnerabilities in its aging records system and disrupted some department operations, the Thomasville Police Department has deployed a cloud-based public safety platform.
The department has implemented Mark43’s Records Management System, OnScene mobile application and Insights analytics platform.
The transition replaces a records management system the department had relied on for roughly two decades and gives officers access to new mobile reporting, crime analysis and records management tools designed to improve efficiency, officer safety and data security.
Police Chief Dustin Carter said the decision was driven by the department’s growth and the need for stronger cybersecurity protections.
“It’s very important to continue to evaluate and modernize our technology as we grow,” Carter said. “That’s what drives safer outcomes and real crime reductions to keep our community safe. You don’t know your true vulnerabilities until there’s a cyberattack. We realize how important it is to protect the data of our citizens and knew upgrading our systems to a secure, cloud-native platform was critical.”
Last year’s cyberattack highlighted the risks associated with older, on-premises computer systems and accelerated plans to move to a cloud-based platform with enhanced security protections.
Under the previous system, department staff spent significant time maintaining aging servers and software. Officials said moving to a cloud-based platform will reduce those maintenance demands while providing stronger security controls and automatic updates.
The change is also restoring capabilities officers lost under the department’s previous records management system.
“Our legacy RMS (records management system) was not able to communicate with the county CAD (computer-aided dispatch), so we lost the ability for our officers to do mobile field reporting, which took us back 20 years because officers had to come to our HQ to complete reports, which took them off the streets,” Carter said.
With the new system, officers can complete and submit reports from the field.
Capt. Wesley Barber said officers also will be able to review information about people, addresses and calls for service before arriving at a scene, providing better situational awareness and improving officer safety.
The platform is expected to streamline investigations by reducing duplicate data entry for incident reports, arrest reports and evidence documentation.
Police leaders also expect to gain improved crime analysis capabilities through the Insights platform. The department’s previous system made it difficult to search narrative reports and identify patterns. The new tools will help analyze crime trends and identify hotspots so police can deploy resources more effectively.
For residents, Carter said, the technology upgrade should translate into faster service, greater officer visibility in the community and stronger protection of sensitive personal information.
“This is about giving our officers better tools to do their jobs while giving our community greater confidence that their information is protected,” Carter said. “Our officers will spend less time behind a desk and more time serving the people of Thomasville.”
Bob Hughes, chief executive officer of Mark43, noted the department is the first agency in North Carolina to launch on the platform.
“Chief Carter is investing in secure, resilient technology that will support their officers for years to come,” Hughes said. “We’re proud to partner with the Thomasville Police Department to modernize its operations and help officers spend more time serving their community.”
