How Louisiana State Police Used Mark43 OnScene to Power Safer, Smarter Policing at Mardi Gras and Super Bowl LIX
Background
The Louisiana State Police (LSP) is responsible for protecting 4.64 million residents, as well as the notable influx of tourists who visit for major events such as: Mardi Gras, Essence Festival, Decadence Festival, Strawberry Festival and most recently Super Bowl LIX. With more than 1,200 sworn troopers and DPS Officers across 10 troops and numerous specialized units, LSP manages a broad range of public safety challenges—from Officer Involved Shootings and cybercrimes to hurricanes and major public events.
Historically reliant on a paper-based system, the agency recognized the urgent need for a modern, centralized platform. “As we have traversed into the 21st century, the need for a centralized repository to facilitate everything became imperative. Our desire for a true records management system that granted limited statewide records access was paramount. From the inundation of Public Records Requests to distribution of criminal cases needed by the various D.A.’s offices and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices; a centralized repository for all documentation we generate was needed to be transparent with the public we serve,” shared Lieutenant Joshua VanEtta, a 31-year police veteran who now oversees new technological developments and implementation at LSP.
In 2020, the agency deployed its first-ever cloud-native computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and records management system (RMS), known as Mark43. Since then, LSP has transformed their operations and emergency response—empowering users to work faster and smarter to keep their communities safe.
Challenge: Limited Situational Awareness in High-Pressure Field Operations
LSP’s Mobile Field Force (MFF) consists of more than 100 troopers from across the state. These troopers are called at a moment’s notice to rapidly deploy for high-security events as well as civil disturbances and natural disasters. These troopers often operate in unfamiliar areas, posing challenges regarding their situational awareness as well as maximizing real-time coordination.
In 2025, the MFF played a critical role in keeping Louisiana safe during specialized deployments from Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge and New Orleans to Super Bowl LIX. This specialized unit managed large crowds and ensured a secure and enjoyable environment. Mobility is crucial to success—troopers must navigate crowded spaces, have the latest intelligence at their fingertips, respond quickly, and adapt to rapidly evolving environments. However, without a dynamic mobile solution, troopers and dispatchers lacked consistent access to critical data, mapping, and communication tools on-the-go; especially while deployed outside of their patrol vehicles on foot, horse, or by air.
Solution: Mark43 OnScene — A Mobile Solution that Moves with You
In February 2025, LSP deployed for Super Bowl LIX. During preparation for this deployment, LSP extended its use of the Mark43 platform with the distribution of Mark43 OnScene—a mobile, cloud-native app designed to move with troopers on the go. This app powers unparalleled situational awareness, officer-based GPS tracking information for enhanced safety, more rapid responses, and closer collaboration between dispatch, the trooper, and remaining officers.
Given the diverse nature of LSP’s troops and specialized units, the department recognized the need for enhanced mobility for their officers, particularly the MFF, while deployed to major events across the state. The seamless integration between the OnScene app and LSP’s existing Mark43 CAD and RMS solutions empowered troopers to access and share real-time data for safer and faster responses, write and submit reports from the palm of their hands, and provided senior leadership with accurate, real-time locations of troopers in the field using Esri-powered mobile GPS tracking.
LSP needed a swift implementation of the OnScene app to ensure the 100 troopers within the MFF, Mounted Patrol, Air Support, and Motors units had the technology ahead of Super Bowl LIX. Successful deployment was also needed for the fast-approaching Mardi Gras festivities. With existing infrastructure in place and a strong foundation with Mark43 CAD and RMS, the deployment was fast and effective.
“The implementation was so ridiculously easy, it’s not even worth discussing,” said Lt. VanEtta.
The trooper’s adoption and embrace of OnScene was strong, especially among the younger troopers. “I call it a ‘generational thing’,” said Lt. VanEtta.“The generation who grew up with phones in their hands love it because that is what they are used to. At LSP, we are adapting to change. We want to show our troopers that we value their strengths by investing in new capabilities that help them succeed. If you want to evolve, grow, and move towards 21st century technology, mobile applications are the path forward because desktops and laptops will soon be a thing of the past.”
Solution: Advanced Mapping Capabilities for Collaborative and Strategic Foot, Mounted and Air Patrol
During mass deployments, MFF personnel often operate outside of a patrol vehicle. Troopers are dispatched while on foot patrol, while on mounted patrol, or from the air to ensure increased visibility, crowd control, rescue efforts and public interaction. To improve communication, collaboration, and resource allocation across the different patrol disciplines, the LSP is now able to leverage the advanced mapping and GIS tracking capabilities within Mark43 OnScene for a quicker, safer response.
During large-scale events like Mardi Gras, the majority of MFF officers are tasked with foot patrol in downtown New Orleans. This visibility enhances security and police presence for community and visitors alike. Troopers blanket the area and are constantly on the move, making it essential for dispatch, supervisors, and senior leadership to have precise locations for seamless resource deployment and officer safety. “It’s not uncommon for officers to travel from Shreveport into New Orleans and not have a clue about street names, cross streets, or even understand the local terminology,” shared Lt. VanEtta. “If you’re in New Orleans in a foot pursuit, the first thing dispatch is going to ask is if you’re river bound, or lake bound. If you’re from Shreveport, you have no idea what that means and don’t have the local knowledge to say, ‘hey I’m on Tchoupitoulas Street headed toward Calliope’. Once we learned that capabilities existed within Mark43 to place the individual trooper on the CAD map using a cellular device, that changed our strategy on getting resources to that officer and it allowed for our agency to better meet our deployment objectives.”
LSP’s Mounted Unit has deployed OnScene to better locate and track troopers riding horses in real time and allows personnel the ability to submit reports without leaving their patrol area. “The advantage of having RMS at your fingertips is incredible. With OnScene, there is no downtime following an arrest—even if the officer is on horseback,” noted Lt. VanEtta. “The mounted trooper can write, process, and submit their arrest report while sitting on top of the horse waiting for a transport unit. In addition, if a horse is used in a foot chase, we can immediately locate it and dispatch additional resources from surrounding law enforcement agencies, like NOPD, Probation and Parole, or Fire Marshal.”
The Air Support Unit also saw significant tactical response improvements leveraging OnScene, marking a significant milestone for both LSP and Mark43. “Our Air Support Unit conducts flight missions for various searches, which include locating missing boaters, searching for lost children, and tracking escaped convicts. During these operations, the pilot and co-pilot utilize the Mark43 CAD map, with thermal overlays, to see the location of personnel and consistently use this information to provide mission-critical updates. This coordinated effort ensures that officers remain alert, safe, and on guard,” shared Lt. VanEtta. This capability proved increasingly important during Mardi Gras, when personnel would request immediate assistance while encircled by approximately 3 million people inside of a three block area. “The Air Support Unit would hover above the crowd reading the thermal scope while providing real-time information to troopers on the ground. Because of OnScene, one of the pilots would say ‘Units in the 500 block of Bourbon, be advised I’ve got three heat signatures coming your way from Toulouse.’ Based on this situational awareness, everyone remains alert and not surprised by a potential threat,” added Lt. VanEtta.
Impact: Enhanced Officer Morale, Situational Awareness, Resource Allocation and Collaboration
Mark43 OnScene has already made an impact across the department:
- Situational Awareness and Officer Safety: Previously, officers faced dangerous situations where their location was unknown to dispatch, making it difficult to provide timely assistance and resources. “Mark43’s OnScene mapping capabilities add immense value in incredibly high tense situations. We now know where troopers are and can get lifesaving resources in the event they’re ambushed. These are real-life circumstances our troopers face every day. Without the ability to track your officer, you lack the ability to provide emergency resources to keep them safe. That in itself is worth every single penny an agency can pay. Ask yourself this, how can you tell a family we had this capability but refused to acquire and deploy it? How do you justify that to the trooper’s spouse, their children? This investment can save the life of a brother or sister and ensure officers get home safely, period! Every single agency needs to have this.” said Lt. VanEtta
- Officer Morale: Morale has risen particularly among younger troopers and detectives. The functionality and features of the OnScene mobile app allow detectives to gather intelligence on-the-go, preventing exposure and maintaining security.“Our investigations division loves it. They can remain incognito. Our detectives can walk around with the OnScene mobile app in their hand, onboarding information and it looks like they are surfing some social media app. Their heads are on a swivel, not behind a computer, which makes their job easier and allows for better attention to detail,” shared Lt. VanEtta.
- Efficiency and Time Savings: LSP expects OnScene capabilities to improve overall officer efficiency and time spent in the community. Lt. VanEtta shared,“Currently, if you make an arrest in one of our larger metropolitan cities, like New Orleans, an officer is off the street for a minimum of 3 hours. During an 8-hour shift, that’s almost 40% of their time. Using the OnScene app, or Mark43 RMS from inside the patrol vehicle, troopers can immediately write their report minimizing downtime allowing them to get back out on the street to increase visibility and serve the community.” Lt. VanEtta also spoke to the benefits of not having to pull troopers off their assignment to complete a report: “Typically, we must pull the trooper off the street to complete a report or create evidence documentation. Though we’re not paying overtime, without OnScene we’re losing that dividend because the officer is tucked away in an office. Now, troopers can maintain their post and continue serving the community while adhering to policy on completing reports in a timely manner. The approval process also affords efficiency by allowing a supervisor from anywhere in the state to review it and electronically approve or reject it without the trooper having to drive considerable distances to physically meet with someone.”
- Interagency Collaboration: Interagency collaboration is set to improve, particularly with the New Orleans Police Department as they prepare to go live with the Mark43 public safety platform. During large events, like Mardi Gras, data and CAD interoperability with Mark43 OnScene streamline joint response and resource allocation. “We have established a great partnership with the New Orleans Police Department. As we evolve using Mark43’s technology, our intent is to integrate NOPD’s RMS into our RMS so we can basically become a force multiplier and resolve each other’s problems. Whether it be an armed robbery or active shooting, we can seamlessly share information and data across the Mark43 platform. This not only prompts a quicker response, it collaborates the law enforcement partnerships communities’ demand,” said Lt. VanEtta.
- Better Decision Making at the Top: The real-time information sharing capabilities within OnScene and Mark43 CAD provide senior leadership and lower level supervisors with the ability to better collaborate and allocate resources more effectively. Lt. VanEtta shared, “Within our EOC, we have what’s called Over Watch. Over Watch is a space for senior leadership to digest ever changing situations while consuming real time information to make executive level decisions. Utilizing the Mark43 CAD, and AVL map, to receive ever changing situational updates, senior leadership can discuss and collaborate instantly within the same room to make more strategic, faster, and safer decisions. This has unlocked continuity at the highest levels.”
- Community Safety: The improved mapping and situational awareness through Mark43 OnScene has improved overall visibility of officers in the community. “During mass deployments, local supervisors use the OnScene app to assess trooper location so appropriate resources can be spread across the response area in real-time for enhanced community safety and response. If forces bunch up, we can push them back out, so the community sees and feels the presence of our troopers.” Additionally, having the ability to write and submit a report on-the-go is incredibly beneficial— “within minutes of generation, reports are completed without the officer having to leave his or her post, providing necessary services to residents and tourists,” said Lt. VanEtta.
Looking Ahead: Widespread Adoption
From the beginning of deployment, LSP troopers recognized the immediate value and impact of Mark43 OnScene—
“I’m steadily getting phone calls from across the state—troopers want it, and they want it now.”
Mark43 is proud to support the Louisiana State Police with next-generation mobile solutions that drive mobility, resiliency, and safety—equipping every trooper with the tools they need to serve their communities in the modern era. Learn more about Mark43 OnScene and download the customer spotlight PDF here.
