When Hoover received long-awaited approval and funding to search for a new public safety solution, their software was 13-years-old. Although their previous vendor provided the occasional update, the software was not accommodating the needs of the police department management.
We could not draw statistics from that software to better utilize our resources or determine new resources needed to run the police department, said Captain Ken York. Our Chief at the time was very reliant on statistical analysis, and we couldnt get that from the previous software.
That lack of information was the driving force in their search for a new software solution.
The number one problem we had with the software was that it just barely got us through the day, said Captain York. When it came time to drill into the database or try to pull statistics or information, it was very difficult.
Choosing a Partner
We started investigating software companies that would be able to stay with us for a long period of time and stay fluid with our needs, said Captain York. We didnt want to end up starting the process over again in a few years.
York said the sales representative from New World Systems was the only one that arrived quickly after being contacted by Hoover and kept coming back with more information they needed.
It was by far the best sales relationship we had of any of the other vendors that were trying to court us, said Captain York. I dont mean going out and buying us lunch. Im talking about sitting down and taking a look at what New World really had to offer our city.
Partnership and vendor reputation were important to the team in Hoover. New Worlds support has been second-to-none, said Captain York. Iwouldnt have anyone other than New World based on our experience thus far.
Hoover previously experienced problems with vendors being bought out. One of the things that is very appealing about New World is that it is their source code from beginning to end.
Process Improvements
Statistics have improved one thousand percent, said Captain York. Not only do we have the resources to pull the stats we need, but our crime analysis person was specifically trained by New World. So far we have not made a request that he has not been able to fulfill.
Because of that heavy reliance on crime data and analysis, software users in Hoover are pleased with the improvements. Captain York said that never before have the bureau captains been able to pull the stats and information from the software like theyre doing now.
The Chief is really big on getting stats because he is the direct link for the media, said Captain York. Every day the media calls looking for information and its really nice when he can request something and get it back in as few as 30 minutes. Its been a very effective and efficient tool for us to be able to drill into the software and pull out the statistics we need to manage the police department.
Meeting State Requirements
Hoover is the first and only police department in the State of Alabama that is NIBRS (National Incident-Based Reporting System) certified. NIBRS is a reporting system for crimes known to the police with a variety of data being collected about each one. Alabama has mandated a 2010 compliance for all police departments in the state.
We are the leader, we are the first and we are so far ahead of the power curve in the State of Alabama that we report directly to the FBI in West Virginia, said Captain York. We are setting the pace for the state. Other jurisdictions are coming to Hoover for advice.
It is because of New World that we are years ahead of the state, said Captain York.
Hoover has also been able to incorporate state reports and forms into the software so when they print the forms from the system they look exactly the same as the state reports.
Software and Support Satisfaction
Weve had a lot of qualified experts from New World come here to implement, set up, design, everything, said Captain York. Weve never had a bad experience.
Captain York and the rest of the team in Hoover know they made the right choice in a software partner.
New World has been there for us, said Captain York. Theyve done more than weve asked and weve pushed them, which helps them in the market. Im ecstatic we picked New World.
