ASSOCIATE Magazine FBINAA Q1-2024

Continued from "Rural Sheriff Leverages Mobile", on page 15

“And we now have geolocation at a deputy level. That significantly improves situational awareness and deputy safety.” IMPROVING COVERAGE Although MCSO was experiencing a significant level of utility using smartphones as computing devices and body-worn cameras, Colston said that wireless coverage in many parts of Monroe County was lacking, and the situation did not seem to be improving with the carrier they were using. Always looking for a way to innovate and improve, Colston learned about T Mobile Connecting Heroes , which provides a range of wireless service plans designed specifically to support first responder agencies. Colston learned that T-Mobile ’s merger with Sprint in 2020 had resulted in an expansive network with a much more effective coverage footprint in many parts of America. Colston said he was particularly interested in the fact that T-Mobile now has the largest 5G network and effectively uses low band 5G frequencies to help deliver improved bandwidth and coverage to rural areas. The 5G factor was significant because it would help improve the transfer of videos from the agency’s BWC cameras. Colston reached out to T-Mobile and was ultimately connected with Craig Martinez , who is a retired police chief and currently serves as the National Public Safety Strategist for T-Mobile. Martinez is also an FBI NA graduate (Class 275). The initial assessment of coverage capabilities for Monroe County indicated there would likely be an improved level of ser vice compared to the carrier Monroe County was using. Martinez arranged for Colston to get a loaner smartphone to check cover age throughout the county and put him in touch with a local rep resentative for additional follow-up and support. Colston directed his deputies to use the loaner device to check coverage in all areas and at different times of the day. “The feedback from the deputies on coverage with T-Mobile was really positive,” said Colston. “We’ve now made the switch and our mobile experience and operational capability have definitely improved.” The switch to T-Mobile Connecting Heroes provided an additional benefit to MCSO – significant savings – and Colston says this will allow him to add additional smartphones to serve as dedicated in-car computing devices while continuing to use the existing phones as body-worn cameras. In addition, MCSO is working with Visual Labs to expand their video-capture capabil ity to include in-car video with front and rear facing cameras. The resulting video will provide another level of benefit to the agency and will complement the body-worn systems. “The savings from the switch to Connecting Heroes is allowing us to do this (expand capabilities),” said Colston. “I’m really pleased with the way T-Mobile has stepped up and the services they are providing to our county,” Colston said. “And I’m proud of our project and what we’ve been able to do with technolo gy. By embracing this transformative shift, we’ve not only enhanced our operational capabilities, but we have also managed to save taxpayers in this county thousands of dollars.” A podcast with Sheriff Colston is now available for those interested in learning more about MCSO’s innovative use of smartphones.

About the Author: Dale Stockton is a 32-year-veteran of law enforcement and founder of Below 100, an award-winning officer-safety initiative designed to reduce police line-of-duty deaths. He is a retired police captain from Carlsbad, Calif., and taught criminal justice classes for over 20 years. Stockton is also an accomplished technol ogy practitioner who has managed major projects, including personnel locate devices, license plate recognition systems, and regional smartphone deployments. He is a graduate of FBI NA Session 201.

Continued from "A Message From Our Chaplain", on page 27

up their car that was in town and drive it back to their farm. I quickly agreed, asked for the keys, and was told they always left the key in the car if someone in town needed to use it. So, for me to ask what is important to know is to hope and pray we can regain our dignity and self-esteem and recognize our current situation as God’s people. Is this the world He wants us to live in? Have we lost our self-esteem and the ability to ask for mercy in our lives? • Let us pray for our fellow law enforcement officers who are away from their family and friends working and protecting our communities. • Let us pray for those who are serving our military around the world and pray for all to return to their homes and family safe. • Let us pray for those who have passed away and reach out to those grieving families. • Let us reunite our commitment to each other and our duty as protectors of the people we serve to be strong, resilient, and humble. • Let us ask God for forgiveness and give thanks for all that He has provided so that we can be proud of our accomplishments in the eyes of our children. • Let us set examples in our lives that build our self-esteem and encourage others to follow us. My hope and prayer for this new year is that we can soften our hearts and reach out to those in need and to those who are rebellious and bring faith back into our lives and be kind to each other. “ That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1-10) KJV PRAYER: Our Heavenly Father, we come to you in prayer with every eye closed and head bowed humbling ourselves to you, our Lord. We know that you hear our prayers, and you know what is in our hearts for you, the Alfa and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all things created. We pray that you will comfort us as we lie down and when we wake up to a new day. Lord, brings us hope, give us the strength, instill in us the knowledge to bring about peace throughout the world, as only you can. Amen.

God bless,

Michael A. Hardee National Board Chaplain

32 FBINAA.ORG | Q1 2024