Recently, Mark43 named a new Board of Advisors made up of leading voices in the field of law enforcement and information technology. We sat down with each of them and asked them three questions about their new roles with us. First up: Kathleen O’Toole.
Kathleen O’Toole is a career police officer who led departments in two major cities, as commissioner of the Boston Police Department and chief of the Seattle Police Department. She is recognized internationally as a principled leader and innovator who drives reform and establishes frameworks for effective policing. She chaired the Commission for the Future of Policing in Ireland, served as chief inspector of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate, and was a member of the Independent Commission for Policing in Northern Ireland, considered a critical element of the peace process.
What do you see as some of the most urgent issues at the intersection of public safety and technology?
Public safety agencies need timely, accurate and expansive data in order to make critical decisions, allocate resources, and serve their communities effectively. Agencies must become better at telling their own stories and diving deeper into the data to learn more about the nature of the work their personnel are doing. For example, in policing we need to go beyond crime stats. We should know how much time officers spend providing service to vulnerable members of our communities, including those experiencing mental health crises. Collecting robust data, using it to understand our challenges, and sharing it publicly will better inform our communities and lead to more responsible decision making by police leaders and other government officials.
Collecting robust data, using it to understand our challenges, and sharing it publicly will better inform our communities and lead to more responsible decision making by police leaders and other government officials
Why did you decide to join the Mark43 Advisory Board? What sets Mark43 apart from other public safety technology partners? I first met the founders of Mark43 eight years ago, and they stood out as highly intelligent, dynamic disruptors who understood the importance of capturing necessary and accurate data in efficient and effective ways. I’ve always considered them partners, not simply vendors. Above all, they’ve worked side by side with their customers to develop products that streamline the way public safety personnel work by enabling them to process information via mobile devices, which keeps them in the field where they can more readily serve the community.
What is a lesson have you learned from your career that you feel you can apply to your work with Mark43? Particularly in times of crisis, it’s so important to stand up, tell the truth, take responsibility, and champion transparency. Accurate and timely information allows police leaders to do that while also enhancing the legitimacy of their police organizations. For example, when I was chief of police in Seattle, we developed public-facing dashboards that included a wide range of data in areas such as use of force, mental health crises, and neighborhood specific crime. Over time, independent surveys showed significant increases in community trust across the city, and I attribute much of that success to enhanced transparency.
Mark43 works in partnership with more than 120 public safety agencies across the globe, providing them with new technologies that enable officers to spend more time in the field with the community. Interested in learning more? Fill out this form to receive a personalized demo.
