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.
One agency that has experienced this first hand is the Otero County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico, which relies on Motorola Solutions’ Flex solutions, including Records Management System (RMS) and Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), to unify their workflows. 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, we had the opportunity to sit down with Lieutenant Jonathan Emery and get his perspective on how Managed and Support Services help Otero County not only meet these challenges, but serve as an extension of his team to help them get the most from their Flex investment.
The challenge of “wearing many hats”
Lt. Emery, responsible for all administration and technology, understands the demands of managing complex systems very well. 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.”
For many agencies, particularly smaller ones where people are juggling a lot of different responsibilities, it’s too much to expect that their in-house teams can handle every technical problem. That’s why specialized support services are so helpful, providing expert knowledge that agencies might not have on their own.
The benefits of expert support
According to Lt. 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 recounts an instance in which he worked closely with a support contact to uncover a system-wide bug in an older version of their Flex system. This collaborative effort not only resolved their immediate issue but also benefited other Flex users as well. 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. Agencies like Otero County see the benefits of having experts on-site to set up equipment, integrate systems and even handle training for internal staff. 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 concludes, “We need each other. We need a good, strong partnership. We need those support 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.
