For public safety agencies, maintaining continuous operations isn’t just a goal — it’s a critical necessity. Every moment of downtime can have significant consequences, impacting everything from community safety to officer morale.
For agencies in remote and rural areas, where resources are at a premium, having direct access to a dedicated, experienced support team with a deep understanding of those systems can be a lifeline when it comes to making sure they’re available.
The Otero County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico, which utilizes Motorola Solutions’ Flex solutions, which include Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Records Management System (RMS), to unify their workflows, is one organization that has firsthand experience with this. Located in the diverse and rugged landscape of south-central New Mexico, encompassing everything from the Sacramento Mountains to parts of the Tularosa Basin, Otero County’s public safety workers face unique challenges that demand reliable technology.
At Summit 2025, Lieutenant Jonathan Emery gave us a chance to talk to him about how Managed and Support Services not only help Otero County meet these challenges but also work as an extension of his team to help them get the most out of their Flex investment. The difficulty of “wearing many hats” Lt. Emery, who is in charge of all administration and technology, is very familiar with the challenges of managing complicated systems. He emphasizes the difficulty of being a jack-of-all-trades, noting that, “Nobody can do it all. Nobody can know it all on every single system.”
It is unreasonable to anticipate that in-house teams will be able to resolve every technical issue for many agencies, particularly smaller ones where employees are juggling numerous responsibilities. Because of this, specialized support services are so helpful because they provide agencies with expert knowledge that they might not have on their own. The advantages of expert assistance Lieutenant, as stated, Emery, the primary benefit of having dedicated support teams is their immediate availability and specialized knowledge. In addition to RMS and CAD, Otero County also utilizes other Motorola Solutions products, such as license plate recognition cameras and Avigilon systems.
When critical systems are down, every second counts. But what happens when you can’t get access to the support you need to quickly resolve an issue? Lt. Emery highlights the frustration of a standard ticketing system where “the ticket defaults to [a lower priority], and you have no way to really escalate that.”
In contrast, direct access to dedicated support experts like Customer Support Managers (CSMs) and Customer Success Advocates (CSAs) allows for rapid escalation and resolution of urgent issues. “If we have a site go down and we need a critical ticket, we need somebody on it right away,” he explains.
This direct line to experts ensures that even when an agency’s own IT personnel are off-site or overwhelmed, support is readily available. “It’s nice to be able to have somebody who has the dictionary right there beside them to be able to do some of those fixes that maybe I couldn’t figure out, or I don’t have time to do,” Lt. Emery said.
Proactive problem-solving and partnership
Beyond reactive problem-solving, a strong support partnership fosters proactive improvements. Lt. Emery relates a situation in which he collaborated closely with a support representative to discover a flaw that affected the Flex system as a whole in an earlier version. Not only did this team work together to solve their immediate issue, but it also helped other Flex users. This demonstrates the power of a relationship that goes beyond basic troubleshooting, becoming a true partnership in technological advancement.
“It’s almost like having your own concierge,” Lt. Emery said. “I have a phone number, I know them by name.”
This partnership extends to on-site support, particularly crucial during system “go-lives” and kickoffs. Having experts on hand to set up equipment, integrate systems, and even handle training for internal staff is something that agencies like Otero County see as advantageous. All of this works to empower agency staff to become more self-sufficient while still providing peace of mind in knowing they’ve got a safety net. Access to in-state, dedicated support personnel also provides faster response times and a better understanding of local laws and regulations.
The value of partnership and peace of mind
Ultimately, the goal of managed and support services is to provide public safety agencies with peace of mind. It’s about more than just fixing problems; it’s about building a trusting relationship where dedicated experts are available during every critical moment.
As Lt. Emery says, “We need one another.” We need a good, strong partnership. We require those assistance services. By investing in comprehensive managed and support services, public safety agencies can ensure their critical systems are always available, allowing them to focus on their core mission: keeping communities safe.
