Dashboards Improve Communication for Shift Officers in North Richland Hills (TX) PD
North Richland Hills (TX) Police Department installed three First Arriving dashboards in high-traffic areas to reach officers across four 12-hour shifts that rarely see each other. Training, calendars, weather and social feeds now reach officers — especially the night shift — and officer feedback “has been great.”
Key results
- Three dashboards placed in high-traffic areas
- Positive officer feedback
- Effective communication with night shift and between officers and fleet management
The North Richland Hills Police Department in Texas has been continually recognized for several years in proving compliance and best practices in all aspects of law enforcement. Continuing to follow and prove best practices, the department has made a notable change to how it communicates with its police officers and staff by installing First Arriving’s Digital Dashboards.
North Richland Hills Public Safety PIO and Media Relations Coordinator Carissa Katekaru said that they first saw the First Arriving Digital Dashboards at the North Richland Hills Fire Department.
“The system we had just wasn’t working well for our needs and we loved the First Arriving dashboard we saw at the fire department, and we looked into how it is being used.” said Katekaru.
First Arriving Digital Dashboards have over 100 platforms, apps, widgets, and other integrations that can be customized to meet a department’s communications needs. The North Richland Hills Police Department is currently using Google Calendar for training, Google Documents and Google Slides, and the National Weather Service. The department is planning to add CAD and Dispatch, and YouTube integrations in the future.
“We also have our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds in there as well as showing work anniversaries and birthdays,” Katekaru added. “The Google Calendar integration is good for our training information and allows us to announce upcoming openings in certain areas, such as our SWAT team.”
The three digital dashboards in use by the department are strategically placed in high traffic areas in the building to strengthen communication among officers.
“We are a four-shift department, with each shift working 12 hours on a three-on, two-off schedule and we don’t see each other,” explained Katekaru. “The feedback from the officers about the dashboards has been great. The dashboards are an effective way to communicate with our officers, especially the night shift, and they also help with communication between officers and fleet management.”
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Frequently asked questions
What problem did North Richland Hills Police Department solve?
Shift-to-shift communication. It is a four-shift department working 12-hour shifts on a three-on, two-off schedule — “we don’t see each other,” said PIO Carissa Katekaru — and the previous system “just wasn’t working well for our needs.”
What shows on North Richland Hills Police Department's screens now?
Google Calendar for training and announcements like SWAT team openings, Google Documents and Slides, National Weather Service, Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram feeds, and work anniversaries and birthdays.
What result did North Richland Hills Police Department see?
Officer feedback has been great, according to Katekaru. The dashboards are an effective way to communicate with officers, especially the night shift, and help communication between officers and fleet management.
