Three questions with a (former) cop: Lori Cox

As a police officer in Columbus, Ohio, she helped the police department build a computer network from scratch. Now she helps bring leading-edge technology to police departments across the U.S. Meet Lori Cox, a former cop now working for Mark43.

One in ten Mark43 employees are former law enforcement or public safety professionals. Collectively they bring more than 400 years of specialized experience to the company, and we put that experience to work every day for our customers. In this series you’ll meet some of these exceptional Mark43 employees.

While in college, Lori Cox found herself on a ride-along with the Columbus Police in Ohio. The ride-along started at 10 p.m., and by midnight she knew her destiny was to be a police officer. 25 years later she retired from the Columbus Police with stints as a Field Training Officer and service in the PoliceNET Operations Unit, which was responsible for all technology initiatives and operations within the agency.

Can you tell us about your role at Mark43?

I am the Records Management System (RMS) Product Manager for Compliance. My team is responsible for all things law enforcement reporting: NIBRS for crime reporting, Use of Force reporting, stop reporting, legal compliance, and more. We are also responsible for any product changes due to new state-based reporting requirements or the evolution of the industry as a whole. For instance, more agencies have clear directives to report on officers using force and we are involved in helping make that happen.  

Why Mark43? 

Public safety is in my DNA. I was a police officer in Columbus, Ohio for 25 years, and was directly involved in the technology used by more than 2,200 sworn and civilian  employees for 18 of those years. I saw how transformative technology could be in our day-to-day work. When we had good technology, officers got more done – respond to more calls for service, more effectively target and drive down crime, and prioritize the most pressing needs of the community. This firsthand experience showed me what matters for a public safety technology vendor. When I interviewed with Mark43, one of the things that struck me was the company’s values. It was very clear to me that the company culture was rooted in the belief that, ‘We are here to serve you, the customer.’ Mark43’s goal was to provide technology that made an officer’s job easier, safer, more streamlined, and empower them with the benefits that data can provide. I knew my experience could help forward that mission.  

“I’ve been the person in the cruiser at 11 p.m. at night trying to get a report to clear and I’ve been the person who has to walk into the Mayor’s office with crime statistics. When one of our customers starts telling me what they need to do, I understand, because I’ve probably done it myself at some point.”      

What do you bring from your previous career to your work at Mark43?

At the Columbus Police working in the Police Net Operations Unit, I had a front row seat to the changes that technology brought to law enforcement. I also saw how public safety leaders guided and demanded changes to technology to make sure it actually addressed the needs officers face. One example I was specifically involved in was our records management system and compliance. I’ve been the person in the cruiser at 11 p.m. trying to get a report to clear and I’ve been the person who has to walk into the Mayor’s office with crime statistics. When one of our customers starts telling me what they need to do, I understand, because I’ve probably done it myself at some point. My experience helps me to identify with the very real pain points they have. When you’ve taken the sacred oath and have that badge on your chest, there’s a different language and connection that you share. 

I also know the word ‘compliance’ can rub people the wrong way,  but compliance helps agencies get so much more done. Compliance is directly integrated with law enforcement transparency. It helps connect police officers with the community by building trust through the sharing of information, and it also ensures that police officers address crime in a constitutional way. Agencies today are expected to have data when they stand up at the podium, and compliance data can provide a big chunk of that data. Working at Mark43, I get to use my law enforcement experience and continue to make the lives of officers and those they serve better. I didn’t know it on that ride-along many years back, but it’s a perfect fit.

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