Police Chief Recognized for Being a Technological Leader

Once again, the Redwood City Police Department has been put on the technological map.

Computerworld magazine recently named Redwood City Police Chief JR Gamez among its 2013 top 100 "Premier IT Leaders" honorees.

The "Premier 100 IT Leader Awards" honor individuals who have had a positive impact on their organization through exceptional technology leadership and innovative approaches to business challenges, the police department explained in a press release.

"The Premier 100 awards program showcases the exceptional work of a dedicated group of technology-savvy business leaders who are driving huge change in their organizations through IT," said Scot Finnie, editor in chief of Computerworld. "Every day, these exemplary business leaders make strategic technology decisions that track to their organizations' top priorities."

"These 100 men and women keep a keen eye on the changing landscape of political, economic, regulatory and technology trends that are driving significant shifts in IT," Finnie continued. "We are very pleased to recognize the leadership and honor the achievements of the 2013 Premier 100 honorees." 

In June of 2012, the Redwood City Police Department took public engagement to the next level when it launched Netop’s “Live Guide” video and text chat to allow community members the opportunity to have real-time, interactive video chats directly with a Redwood City police officer.

The Live Guide service utilizes the latest technology for two-way text messaging with audio and video chat features that offer another way for the community to connect with the Police Department. Members of the public can use Live Guide to receive live online assistance with any concerns or questions they may have about police services or to receive help with reporting crimes online.

Offering such an emerging technology placed the Redwood City Police Department on the leading edge of customer service strategy by providing a new standard of “community-centric” policing, and making the Department the first municipal law enforcement agency in the United States to provide such video interactivity directly between its police department and its community.

"It is truly an honor to be recognized as a Premier 100 IT Leader by Computerworld," Gamez said. "The need to embrace emerging technologies is a priority for our department because it allows our officers to provide a smarter and a more efficient manner of interacting with our residents, while presenting timely information to our community."

"The Redwood City Police Department remains a forward-thinking agency committed to embracing innovative technology partnerships that provide our residents with the highest level of customer service," he added.

The Premier 100 program was created in 2000 to spotlight individuals who have had a positive impact on their organizations through technology. These are individuals who manage internal IT organizations, mentor and motivate their IT teams and business colleagues, create a positive work environment, envision innovative solutions to business challenges and effectively manage and execute IT strategies.

Each year, nominees are invited to complete a survey that addresses a number of topics, including their background and experience and their attitude toward risk and innovation. Using Computerworld's IT Leader Index, which is a measurement of how closely an individual matches the magazine's definition of the IT Leader, Computerworld analyzes the data. Each year, 100 honorees are selected to receive this lifetime recognition award.

Information on previous honorees can be viewed on Computerworld's website. 

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