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Surprise Police Department in Arizona Modernizes with Mark43 Public Safety Platform

via Business Wire

Mark43, the leading cloud-native public safety operations platform, today announced the launch of Surprise Police Department (SPD) on the Mark43 Public Safety Platform, marking a major milestone as the first agency in Arizona to deploy Mark43 Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD). The deployment also includes Mark43 Records Management System (RMS), OnScene, First Responder, and the reactivation of Arizona’s statewide data exchange (DEx).

“We’re proud to announce the successful launch of the Mark43 platform with the Surprise Police Department, the first agency in Arizona to deploy our end-to-end solution including records, dispatch, and analytics,” said Bob Hughes, CEO of Mark43. “SPD’s leadership is setting a new benchmark for innovation and efficiency by streamlining operations, saving time, and getting officers back into the community faster, while accelerating a broader technology modernization movement to support a safer Arizona.”

For SPD’s officers, this launch marks a new era of connected, data-driven policing. Transitioning from a legacy on-premises system to Mark43’s secure, cloud-native platform now brings dispatch, records, evidence, and mobile operations together under one modern system. The result is greater reliability, stronger data security, and real-time access for officers in the field.

“The Mark43 system is much more up to speed with the times,” said Chief Evan Becher. “The technology is more advanced, and the interface is a lot more user-friendly.”

The move has also redefined how SPD’s IT team supports its operations.

“With our previous setup, our staff was constantly tied up managing servers, troubleshooting, and performing manual upgrades,” Chief Becher explained. “Now, that burden is gone, and our team can focus on supporting officers and advancing public safety technology.” He added, “IT departments can be hesitant to relinquish oversight of data, but it’s been great to entrust that to Mark43. Our users now have seamless access to our data in one place. It’s transformational.”

With Mark43 CAD, dispatchers and officers can work from a single, intuitive system that improves workflows and response times, and gives officers greater autonomy through real-time AVL mapping and self-dispatching. In addition, the integration between CAD and RMS creates a single source of truth across the department. “The intelligence behind the system is impressive. It’s a seamless transition from the CAD into RMS,” said Chief Becher. “I can look something up in CAD, and it redirects me right into RMS. The search function is really intuitive; I just plug in a few things and get a lot of helpful results or suggestions. The fuzzy searches have gotten great feedback, and that’s something we didn’t have before.”

Mark43 RMS improves data integrity and streamlines reporting by ensuring that every report is completed accurately before submission.

“When I look at Mark43, I see quality control built into the system. Reports can’t move forward until everything is complete, so by the time a report gets to a supervisor, prosecutor, or defense attorney, it’s already top notch,” said Chief Becher.

The built-in NIBRS compliance also ensures accurate, compliant data for both internal operations and community transparency.

“The system forces correct data entry for NIBRS, which means what we share with the public is more accurate. It’s a big step forward for data quality,” added PIO Richard Hernandez.

Mark43 RMS also improves data sharing and collaboration with city officials. Chief Becher shared, “When I get a call with questions from the mayor, I’m able to log in on my phone and access what I need immediately. Before, I had to wait for multiple people to collect the information and call me back. Now, it’s in the palm of my hand.”

SPD has also deployed Mark43’s mobile tools, including OnScene and First Responder, which extend the platform’s power to officers in the field. Officers can access and update calls, query records, upload evidence, and self-dispatch directly from their mobile devices.

“The biggest feedback from officers is that it doesn’t matter where they are, they have everything they need in the field. Before, if you wanted to check history, you’d have to go back to your vehicle or call dispatch. Now, officers are staying in the field and dispatching themselves to jobs, meaning they get there faster and are keeping lines of communication clearer,” said Chief Becher, adding that mobility has already enhanced situational awareness and operational coordination. “We’ve already had a few examples where the mapping in Mark43 has helped. During two large crash scenes, supervisors could see exactly where officers were – even when they were out of their cars – because they were logged into Mark43 on their phones. That let them direct investigators straight to witnesses and manage the scene more efficiently.”

Chief Becher credited the success of the deployment to the partnership between SPD’s dedicated IT team and Mark43.

“During implementation and training, we had about 10 officers become internal experts,” he said. "They helped train others, and Mark43 was right there with us throughout. The team was receptive, collaborative, and responsive. Even now, if someone brings up a small issue or suggestion, Mark43’s engineering team is already looking into it. That kind of support has made all the difference.”

The Surprise Police Department’s shift to a cloud-native platform marks a transformative step toward smarter, safer, and more connected policing across the state of Arizona.

“Technology is a huge part of where policing is headed. Systems like Mark43 are a force multiplier; they make us more efficient. It’s also attractive to new recruits who want to work with modern tools. I’m most excited about how the platform will keep evolving and integrating with other systems over time. There’s really no limit to what Mark43 is going to provide us and we’ll be able to do together,” shared Chief Becher.

To learn more, visit www.mark43.com.

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About Mark43

Mark43 brings modern technology to enhance public safety, making state, local and federal agencies faster, smarter, and their communities safer. Its integrated Records Management System, Computer-Aided Dispatch, and Data Analytics form the backbone of a unified, real-time public safety operating platform to streamline workflows, improve response times, and foster collaboration. Trusted by over 300 agencies, Mark43 increases effectiveness and efficiency amid rising demands and limited resources. By supporting first responders with innovative tools, AI technology, and a strong cybersecurity foundation, Mark43 equips public safety agencies to address the challenges of today and tomorrow. For more information, visit www.mark43.com.

“We’re proud to announce the successful launch of the Mark43 platform with the Surprise Police Department, the first agency in Arizona to deploy our end-to-end solution including records, dispatch, and analytics,” said Bob Hughes, CEO of Mark43.

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