By: Cassie Schirm
The New Orleans Police Department is taking another big step forward in modernizing how it serves and protects the city.
Officials have rolled out the Mark43 platform, a $30 million upgrade that promises to make police work faster, more accurate and more transparent.
This is one of the most wide-reaching public safety technology upgrades in the region.
More than 900 NOPD officers and 18 partner agencies are now connected through the new cloud-based system, replacing older software that city officials say was outdated and hard to use. The goal is to help officers spend less time behind a desk and more time out in the community.
“This technology deployment demonstrates our commitment to innovation and public safety for the City of New Orleans,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “By investing in Mark43’s modern, cloud-native public safety solution, the City is building a foundation for safer neighborhoods and stronger trust between law enforcement agencies and the residents they serve.”
Mark43 Chief Customer Officer Tim Merrigan said the system is designed to make officers’ jobs easier and improve how data is tracked and shared.
“What you’ll see is a time savings for each officer as they go through this,” Merrigan said. “Now they can put more time back into the community. I don’t think anyone becomes a police officer to write reports. As much as we can streamline that and gain an efficient experience, we can return that time and the commitment to the community and also develop better data. So now you have a better data set, better reporting.”
The Mark43 system replaces NOPD’s previous reporting software, which officials said couldn’t keep up with new federal standards or handle the city’s growing needs.
The new cloud-based design links 13 different data systems and connects with 18 other agencies, including the Louisiana State Police, which also uses Mark43.
For the first time, NOPD will be able to fully report to both the Louisiana Incident-Based Reporting System and the National Incident-Based Reporting System, a major milestone as the department continues working under its federal consent decree. NOPD Director of Analytics Jessica Nezat said the system’s built-in checks will ensure every report meets higher standards for accuracy and accountability.
City Chief Information Officer Kimberly LaGrue said the $30 million project was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, part of a larger effort to modernize the city’s entire criminal justice system.
“The platform provides NOPD with a modern reporting system, ensuring the City of New Orleans meets federal and state data-reporting requirements to secure federal funding for the City,” LaGrue said.
Nathaniel Weaver, who leads the city’s Justice Tech Modernization Program, said this isn’t just a software upgrade; it’s a turning point.
“This is a foundational transformation in how the NOPD operates as a modern police department,” he said. “Mark43 unites our systems, partners, and data in one environment, strengthening our ability to collaborate, respond, and deliver smarter public-safety outcomes across the city.”
City leaders say this is only the first step. The Mark43 rollout is part of six major technology projects that will connect New Orleans’ entire justice system. The new system gives police access to real-time analytics that can help spot crime trends faster, improve resource deployment, and make data more transparent to the public.
Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the new system is already making a difference.
“Mark43 has delivered a modern, easy-to-use system that will save valuable time in the field, improve accuracy, and enhance the department’s ability to deliver the highest quality of service to our community,” she said.
Officials called it a major leap forward, one that they believe will keep improving as technology evolves and help NOPD continue building trust with the community it serves. This comes as the department moves closer to ending the federal consent decree that has guided reforms for more than a decade.
Original Story: https://www.wdsu.com/article/nopd-rolls-out-30-million-system-to-modernize-operations/69385285
