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NIBRS Compliance Heads The List of Records Management System Trends Worth Exploring

Recently, we explored short-term and medium-term trends pertaining to computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems. 

Let MCP Help Your Justice Organization Embrace the Hybrid Hearings Concept

Circumstances exist whereby it is prudent that certain participants in a court hearing are not required to appear at the courthouse. One example concerns those who are in custody awaiting a hearing or trial. A lot can go wrong when transporting a defendant to a courthouse. Further, the logistics are complicated, and the process is time-consuming. Consequently, ma

Learn the Ins and Outs of Cloud Implementations for Public-Sector Agencies in Our Latest Podcasts

The “cloud” still seems to be a thing of mystery to many in the public sector. To help unravel the mystery, MCP created three podcasts, which can be found on our website, SoundCloud, and Spotify.

MCP’s Acquisition of MTG Management Consultants: One Year Later

Exactly one year ago, MCP announced the acquisition of Seattle-based MTG Management Consultants, which today is known as our Justice, Management, and Technology (JMT) services team. This acquisition has generated enormous benefits for our clients and the firm over the past 12 months.

New Podcast Offers Numerous Ideas to Solving the 911 Community’s Staffing Problems

Dutch folklore recounts the story of a little boy who plugs a hole that formed in a dike, using only his finger, to keep his town from flooding — he stays in place through the night despite the cold and becomes a hero. If this story were applied to today’s 911 community, the boy would need to use multiple digits or would need a few of his pals to help out.

Newest Podcast Covers the 911 Community’s Biggest Issues — CAD System Inconsistency, the Staffing Crisis, and More

For more than a half century, the 911 system in the United States has performed admirably, saving countless lives in the process. But today it needs some work. A migration to Next Generation 911, which represents a quantum leap forward in terms of capabilities compared with the legacy 911 system, is what we hear about most often. But several other key aspects require equally rapt attention.

Recently I participated in a podcast with Laurie Flaherty, the recently retired coordinator of the National 911 Program, and John Chiaramonte, president of Mission Critical Partners' consulting business, in which a few of the most pressing needs were discussed. (Click here to view the podcast, or view it as video here.)

Cybersecurity Threat Advisory: Fortinet and Microsoft Exchange Vulnerability Exploits

As part of our effort to inform our clients about potential and serious cybersecurity issues, MCP provides advisories about vulnerabilities and exploits that could threaten the operations of their critical communications networks. Sign up to receive these advisories in your inbox as soon as they are released.

Broadband Could Be the Key to Unlocking Federal Funds for NG911 Implementations

It has been a few weeks since Congress reduced the amount of federal funding for Next Generation 911 (NG911) implementations in the Build Back Better Act — also known as the Budget Reconciliation Act —from $10 billion to $470 million. Also included is $20 million for administrative costs associated with the grant program that will disperse the money, $9 million to establish an NG911 cybersecurity center and $1 million for establishing an NG911 advisory board. The House passed this legislation on November 19 and it now goes to the Senate.

There seems to be a considerable amount of handwringing about what slashing NG911 funding by roughly 95 percent means for the future of this vital technology. That’s understandable. NG911 represents a quantum leap forward compared with legacy 911 systems — an apt analogy is that the former is an airplane while the latter is a horse and buggy.

9/11 Two Decades Later — Much Done, Much Still to Do

Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon, as well as the hijacking of a third commercial airliner that day, United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers confronted the terrorists. The attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities and more than 25,000 injuries. It is the deadliest single incident for firefighters and police officers in the U.S., who respectively lost 340 and 72 members that day. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack our history.

Are Cloud-Based Solutions Right for Your Agency?

A lot of people in the public safety/justice/public sector sectors are talking about cloud-based solutions these days. It is easy to understand why there is so much chatter because solutions that live in the cloud offer some impressive benefits. Here are just a few:

  • Cloud-based solutions typically offer best-of-breed technologies and services
  • Cloud-based solutions remove the maintenance and upgrade burden from the end user from a technology perspective
  • Cloud-based solutions often make it easier to share resources regionally or even broader compared with siloed, on-premises solutions
  • Cloud-based solutions typically offer enhanced resiliency and redundancy compared with on-premises solutions
  • Cloud-based solutions often make it easier for agencies to transfer operations to another location in “bug out” scenarios
  • Cloud-based solutions are easier and faster to scale —both up and down, based on the agency’s needs at any given juncture — compared with on-premises solutions
  • Cloud-based solutions typically are more secure, because providers often have greater information technology and cybersecurity resources and assets to draw upon

This Month’s Cyberchat Shines a Light on the Rise of Ransomware

Earlier this year, we ramped up our cybersecurity efforts by launching a series of monthly video chats in which we summarize the most recent threats, share information from entities such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and offer tips for preventing cyberattacks and mitigating them if they occur. This month’s Cyberchat video, which can be viewed below, contains some important information that public-sector and critical infrastructure agencies need to have.

Double the Attack, Double the Fees

Double-encryption ransomware attacks, which typically include cyberattackers encrypting a target’s data twice, at the same time or shortly after each other, are on the rise. In this month’s video, we explore how agencies can mitigate the risk of a double-encryption attack and begin the rebuilding process if one occurs.

’Once-in-a-Career’ Chance for Federal Funding Exists for Public Safety

The cost of standing up an emergency services Internet Protocol network (ESInet)—which provides the transport architecture that enables emergency calls to be delivered to Next Generation 911 (NG911) emergency communications centers (ECCs), traditionally known as public safety answering points (PSAPs)—is significant. Consequently, the news out of the nation’s capital of late has been encouraging concerning federal funding that might become available to the public safety community for such implementations and much more.