An informative discussion between the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington D.C.) and the Prince William County Police Department hosted by Mark43
Facing significant staffing shortages, increasingly complex criminal threats, and rapidly evolving technology, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies must continue to strengthen collaboration—both across government and in the private sector—to enhance public safety outcomes. On March 7, 2025, Mark43’s Vice President of Public Policy and Community Affairs, Ganesha Martin, moderated a panel at the 2025 Carahsoft Law Enforcement Innovation Summit that explored how partnerships improve operations and drive public safety initiatives.
Martin was joined by two law enforcement innovators and leaders, David Clow, Chief Information Officer at the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Matthew Bromeland, Chief of Staff at the Prince William County Police Department (and former MPD and Richmond PD). As champions of modern technology, the discussion highlighted the vital role of partnerships, technology, and breaking down silos. Read on for key takeaways and actionable strategies to achieve faster, more coordinated responses and community outcomes:
A Case for Stronger Collaboration and Partnership
In today’s interconnected world, cross-collaboration and multi-agency coordination are now cornerstones of effective law enforcement. Federal, state, and local agencies and private industry partners must proactively work together to address challenges, identify opportunities, and find ways to innovate for enhanced preventative policing strategies and stronger response.
Washington, D.C.’s public safety ecosystem is a unique blend of local, state, and federal systems, highlighting the necessity of federal-municipal collaboration. For example, federal law enforcement agencies in D.C. rely on MPD systems for specific reporting and operational needs. To ensure seamless coordination, MPD works closely with stakeholders from these agencies to facilitate key activities such as requirements gathering.
External to MPD, there is a robust network of collaboration and data-sharing infrastructure across critical entities in D.C. Specifically, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) facilitates a significant amount of information sharing among various public safety agencies and the public. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) supports collaboration on the technology front, including with the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR or LPR) programs. The MPD is an active participant of and contributor to these organizations, enabling more efficient information sharing and protocols.
“Sharing this common operating space is essential in D.C. and its surrounding areas, and requires the strategic use of technology, relationships, and partnerships to work effectively. Every partner brings a diverse set of expectations, demands, assets, and capabilities. Managing priorities means carefully considering and balancing these needs and relationships.” —Matthew Bromeland, Chief of Staff at Prince William County Police Department
The Role of Real-time Crime Center Technology and Cloud Infrastructure in Driving Partnerships
Innovative public safety technology can enhance operations, improve policing practices, and strengthen collaboration between agencies, private organizations, and communities. For instance, increasingly sophisticated software is being piloted and launched in Real-time Crime Centers (RTCCs) across the country. From camera programs that streamline video-sharing when a crime occurs to piloting new software that will help drive efficiency, these tools support departments and partner agencies to collectively and swiftly respond to emerging needs by providing real-time access to mission-critical information. Central to these technological advancements is having good data and reliable core systems of record.
MPD’s community camera sharing program, CameraConnect DC, is an example of the power partnerships play in supporting public safety efforts.
The MPD launched their modernized RTCC in 2024. Department leaders focused on creating a space for officers, investigators, analysts, and partners to actively coordinate. They also provided the tools to help support and facilitate this intentional engagement. For example, MPD’s IT team focused on flexible and mobile software solutions so according to Clow, you could “run RTCC technology off your laptop, the MDT in your car, evenings, weekends, 24/7.” Looking ahead, the continued evolution of real-time data sharing and RTCCs will require the right experts and stakeholders to drive collaboration and advance smarter policing strategies nationwide. This includes leveraging AI for more efficient RTCC workflows.
“Despite having comprehensive data from RTCCs and CCTVs, it’s challenging for investigators to be effective when they are sifting through lots of information from various sources. As we look to improve data sharing, AI has the potential to make this process more efficient, if used carefully and strategically. For example, within D.C., we have the Mayor’s AI initiative which requires us to submit a formal AI use case to a review panel to ensure we’re moving forward and implementing in a thoughtful manner.” —David Clow, CIO at the Metropolitan Police Department
The MPD’s innovative approach to technology is rooted in its commitment to a cloud-first strategy. The agency took a strategic step forward launching on the Mark43 cloud-native public safety platform in an effort to enhance operations through seamless, secure and efficient access to mission-critical data. The MPD recognized the vast benefits of adopting cloud-native technology for a safer community and smarter, faster response. According to Clow, “As one of the technology decision makers, it was important to communicate to a wide audience how the cloud can be most impactful and beneficial.”
The Department’s IT organization understood how the cloud would make their job easier through more secure, resilient, configurable, and scalable systems. However, all the panelists agreed that fundamentally, at the forefront of any technology procurement and transformation is the question: How will this technology make our front-line officers’ lives easier? How will it potentially address inefficiencies? How will it improve interagency communication and collaboration?
Clow spoke to the importance of stakeholder buy-in and adoption around new technology and data infrastructure for lasting change. “In many cases technology is the simple part—it’s the policies, frameworks, and governance infrastructure that can be the most challenging. Especially in a place like D.C. where we operate as a city, state, and county, we have a lot of needs, so it’s critical to involve all stakeholders, including sworn and non-sworn members of various ranks and roles to facilitate buy-in and engagement.”
The MPD’s cloud-first, data-driven policing model enables the agency to stay ahead of emerging public safety challenges, fostering strategic and vital collaboration among local, state, and federal bodies.
Lessons in Leadership and Moving Forward
“If we know one thing about this industry, it’s evolving constantly – especially from a tech and personnel standpoint. Finding a way to properly train officers in an increasingly complex and tech-forward ecosystem become critical for retention and operational efficiency.” —Matthew Bromeland, Chief of Staff at Prince William County Police Department
When discussing effective ways that leaders can steer and guide technology transformations and partnerships, Bromeland shared: “One of the biggest hurdles can be environmental or cultural when you’re trying to shift the way an agency operates. This is always a challenge at the beginning—people can be receptive to change, but they must be part of it. Embrace the naysayers, embrace the people who are skeptical. There is always room for healthy skepticism at a police department. Start with these people first—listen to them, talk to them, understand how you can address their needs, and involve them. It’s not just about the executives or rank and file. As time goes on, successful implementations and processes build credibility across the organization that you [a technology partner] are offering them a helpful solution. Lean into that culture.”
Second, agencies are looking for partners, not vendors. All the panelists agreed that it’s important to look at the culture of partner organizations and work collaboratively to achieve desired outcomes. Further, according to Clow, “The world of policing is very insulated. We like to talk to each other—how do you like this technology? How did implementation go? What are your lessons learned? Having a partnership with our tech vendors, where they can work with us and address our unique challenges and needs is very beneficial.”
“It was key for us to build a strong, foundational relationship with our tech vendor, as a truly engaged partner. We spent 2.5 years building our ecosystem—it took a lot of time, but Mark43 spent countless hours with our officers and detectives out in the field to ensure implementation and training was efficient and applicable to their day-to-day duties.” —Matthew Bromeland, Chief of Staff at Prince William County Police Department
Lastly, having open conversations with the community to discuss a particular technology’s purpose, intended goals, and limitations as well as listening to various perspectives can be instrumental. “There is nothing more satisfying than sitting down with a skeptic and leaving them feeling more comfortable with technology. Leaders must build credibility with the community by having these important conversations,” shared Bromeland.
This important panel discussion made one thing clear—no agency can operate in a silo if we want to build safer communities. Whether through stronger data-sharing, smarter technology adoption, or meaningful public-private partnerships, collaboration is the key to modern policing. As tech innovators driving the industry forward, the Metropolitan Police Department and Prince William County Police Department are strong examples for other agencies to look to as they take actionable steps toward a more collaborative and cross-functional approach to public safety.
Explore more industry insights and agency resources and download the full panel discussion today.
About the Author
