Mark43, which makes technology to help police manage records and dispatch, calls its new effort the Accountability, Compliance and Transparency Program, or ACT. The plan is to offer departments a “comprehensive package” of information including data dashboards and reports on use of force, stops and behavioral crises.
In announcing the program, the company specifically referenced George Floyd, who Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed on May 25 by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes. News and video of the incident — as well as other recent police killings of African Americans, such as Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks — have sparked nationwide protests and renewed calls for reforms to policing.
“In this watershed moment for United States law enforcement, Mark43 stands with all those who are angered by the unjustifiable death of George Floyd and the ongoing challenges of racism and inequity it represents,” the company’s press release reads.
The statement mentions that Mark43, as a Records Management System vendor, can act as “the primary data collection tool for a police officer’s day-to-day activities.” It also states that information surfaced through the program could be used to guide training activities and make a police department more transparent to itself, city officials and community members.
“Mark43 proved to be an incredibly reliable, invaluable partner in making the Camden [N.J.] Police Department a nationally recognized leader in community policing,” said Scott Thomson, former chief of the Camden County Police Department, in the statement. “I have no doubt that the ACT Program will help agencies nationwide empower their citizens and better enable officers to serve as true guardians of their communities.”
