How Technology Is Shaping Public Safety
Tyler Tech Podcast Episode 114, Transcript
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Show Notes:
In this episode of the Tyler Tech Podcast, we explore how technology is strengthening resilience in public safety, ensuring agencies can effectively respond to emergencies, adapt to evolving challenges, and maintain seamless operations to protect their communities.
Pat Ninmann, manager of client success for Tyler’s public safety team, joins us to share insights from her career in law enforcement — rising through the ranks from dispatcher to sheriff. Drawing from her experience, Pat discusses how advancements in mobile data computers (MDC), computer aided dispatch (CAD) systems, and cloud-based solutions are equipping public safety agencies with the tools they need to improve situational awareness, enhance data sharing, and build more connected and resilient operations.
Throughout the conversation, Pat highlights the role of technology in helping agencies recruit and retain skilled officers, leverage data for smarter decision-making, and improve interoperability during emergency response efforts. She also shares real-world perspectives on how digital transformation is shaping the future of public safety.
Tune in to learn how technology is empowering public safety professionals to serve their communities more effectively.
This episode also highlights Tyler Connect 2025, our annual conference designed to bring public sector professionals together to empower, collaborate, and imagine. Join us in San Antonio, Texas, from May 11-14, 2025, for product training, networking, and inspiration to help drive your organization forward. Early registration is now open — visit tylertech.com/connect to secure your spot!
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Transcript:
Pat Ninmann: When I was sheriff, I would run our calls for service. And then I would run my formula — do I have enough deputies that are going to be able to handle the increase in the calls for service that we have? Without that data, I would never have been able to go and ask for additional personnel.
Josh Henderson: From Tyler Technologies, this is the Tyler Tech Podcast, where we explore the trends, technologies, and people shaping public sector innovation today. I’m Josh Henderson, part of the corporate marketing team here at Tyler. Thanks for joining us. Each episode, we bring you thought-provoking conversations on the tools and strategies driving public sector innovation.
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In today’s episode, we’re kicking off a two-part series on resilience and public safety — exploring how modern technology is empowering law enforcement to be more agile, transparent, and effective in the face of evolving challenges.
With an ever growing need for rapid response and interagency collaboration, resilient public safety systems are more critical than ever.
And joining us in this episode is Pat Ninmann, manager of client success here at Tyler.
Drawing on over 25 years of public safety experience, from her early days as a dispatcher to becoming the first female sheriff in Dodge County, Wisconsin, Pat offers unique insights into how tools like mobile data computers, computer aided dispatch systems, and cloud-based solutions are enhancing public safety operations.
In the next part of our series, we’ll continue the conversation with Paul Case, VP of client success and general manager at Tyler, as he dives into the key resilience challenges facing agencies today.
But first, let’s get right into my conversation with Pat Ninmann. We hope you enjoy the episode.
Alright, Pat, thanks so much for joining me today on the Tyler Tech Podcast.
Pat Ninmann: Oh, thanks for inviting me. I’m excited.
Josh Henderson: Of course. We’re excited to have you. Now, Pat, you’ve had a long and impactful career in public safety. Can you share a little bit about your journey in law enforcement to becoming a sheriff in Wisconsin to your current role here at Tyler?
Pat Ninmann: Oh, absolutely.
So, I began my career in the early 90’s, which sort of gives away my age. But I started with the city of Beaverdam as a dispatcher and then I moved over to Dodge County Sheriff’s Office as a dispatcher, working my way up through the ranks, becoming director of communications.
I did that for multiple years and then I went over to the jail, being a deputy jail administrator, learning the ins and outs of the jail and what we all do there. And then I moved over to patrol as a patrol lieutenant on day shift. Worked that for a little bit of time and thought to myself, you know, I’ve done all three different things so why not become sheriff? So, I rounded out my career as sheriff of Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and have been in law enforcement over 25 years.
When I chose to hang up my public safety hat, I was still a little bit too young to retire, and I still had the desire to help people.
And we had New World at my old agency, and Tyler Technologies had an opening on their implementation team.
So, I knew some people at Tyler, did my interviews, joined the implementation team on the CAD side of things, which I really enjoyed because I like to get to know the ins and outs of our software.
So, it provided me the experience, not only with CAD but with mobile and records and all of the other applications that we have. I did that for about three years and decided, you know, now’s my time to bring my law enforcement expertise with my Tyler expertise so I can provide an additional service to our clients and became a client executive. And once again, because, you know, I can’t just stay in one position too long, the manager of client success came open overseeing the client executives and the CSMs. And I said, okay, now is my time to not only help our customers, but I can also help my coworkers with any needs they have. And I became a manager of client success for the west side of the United States, and that’s where I am today.
Josh Henderson: You bring such unique experience to Tyler. We’re so lucky to have you here. But I wanted to get some initial perspective from you and your time in law enforcement.
So, looking back on your time as a sheriff, what were some defining moments or challenges that may have shaped your leadership style?
Pat Ninmann: You know, I thought about this question — multiple things, with over 25 plus years’ experience. But the one that that jumps out at me the most would be, having been sheriff is one thing, but I was the first female sheriff of Dodge County. So, it was a new a new thing for our community to have a female in that position.
And having to work with multiple different agencies within the county, getting to understand them, having them understand me, and just with the citizens. I often tell people one of the stories — I remember being in full uniform, going and speaking to a group, and this sweet lady came up to me and she says, “honey, aren’t you afraid?” And I said, “what would I be afraid of?” And she’s like, “you know, you’re just a little girl. You sure you want to be out there with them criminals?” And I said, “ma’am, I’m going to tell you what. I have all of the same equipment that my male counterparts do,”
I said, “but I have another thing that’s one step above them.” And she’s like, “what would that be?” I said, “I have the ability to communicate effectively.”
I said, “so there’s a lot of times all I have to do and go and talk to people and I can get them to calm down.” And she says, “oh my goodness. You’re right.”
So, it’s just changing the mindset of society that it’s not male or female.
Anybody can do the job within law enforcement if they have the desire. So that’s my first one that came to mind. And then the other things that came to mind, remember, I was in law enforcement before they had computers. Officers, they had a radio on their hip, and that’s how they communicated.
With my agency, I was part of the first time we got MDCs in the squads.
And having to work with the patrol people to get them to use it, and all of the new technology that came with that. So, that would have been another high moment in my career as well, getting my agency to be more up to date with technology.
Josh Henderson: That’s great. And for our listeners who are unaware, what is an MDC?
Pat Ninmann: Oh, mobile data computer.
Josh Henderson: Great. Mobile data computer. Great. Now, I love that story by the way. I just wanted to comment on that.
So, but beyond your law enforcement experience, you now work in client success with Tyler’s public safety team. How has your experience influenced the way you support agencies today?
Pat Ninmann: I would say having the prior law enforcement experience has truly been a benefit for myself and the clients that I work with. I’m able to go on-site, and I’m able to talk their language.
You just asked what’s an MDC. I can go on-site, and we can have all of those acronyms and fully understand one another. Also, going on-site to a law enforcement agency and providing them the awareness that I have the same background.
I understand what you all have been through and I’m here to help. I said it before, I came to Tyler because I still have that desire to help those in public safety, and it still stands today. And I see the customers appreciate that. They understand it, and they grow that trust with you.
So, I can go on-site, and I can say, you know what? We’ve got this new product out. I really think it’s going to be beneficial for you. And they’re going to stop and they’re going to listen, because not only can I tell them why it’s going to be beneficial, I can provide them examples of how in law enforcement, it’s actually going to help the people they serve as well as their employees and everyone else.
Josh Henderson: Yeah. I mean, working in technology, there’s a lot of acronyms as well. So, you’re just surrounded by acronyms.
And we’re getting a little bit of, sirens in the background, which I feel might be…
Pat Ninmann: Law enforcement is coming through.
Josh Henderson: Now, we talk a lot about resilience as well in the tech space, and resilience is a critical component in public safety — ensuring agencies can respond effectively to emergencies and evolving challenges. How do you see technology playing a role in building resilience across agencies, and why do you think it is so important?
Pat Ninmann: I think technology is very important within law enforcement and public safety. Like you said, with resilience, it’s just allowing for the situational awareness, allowing for the sharing of the data, you know, bringing multiple agencies together when they have to respond to a critical situation is huge. Law enforcement, we’re into — you can never get enough information. You can never share enough data. The more information, the safer our officers are, the safer the community is. The technology also allows for the transparency that the citizens are requiring of public safety agencies today. And I think by providing the continued advancement within the technology that’s going to provide that information for the agencies to share with the citizens is huge.
The more information, the safer our officers are, the safer the community is.
Pat Ninmann
Manager, Client Success, Tyler Technologies
Josh Henderson: That’s great. And now, Pat, creating a resilient workforce in public safety also includes an emergency response involving multiple agencies working together. How have you seen technology improve interoperability and real-time data sharing between agencies?
Pat Ninmann: One of the examples I would give, you bring up the multi-agency response and all of that stuff.
Let’s talk about our CAD system, computer aided dispatch system. One of the functionalities that we have is the CAD to CAD, so you can share data with other CAD dispatch centers. It also allows us to create response plans for the first responders, be it EMS, fire department — and allows us to see what units are available, what ones can be sent while in real-time, talking with the other dispatch centers via the CAD system saying, hey. we need an engine to go to this fire, or we need, you know, an EMS to back up our fire station at this location.
All real-time, so you don’t have that delay to the citizens, they’re getting the fastest response that they possibly can by that continued communication.
Not only that, you’re also able to see all of the different units on the mapping system.
So, if I’m sitting in dispatch and I’m like, okay, I need to know where all my officers are because I have maybe a major incident happening downtown, I can get that visual. Boom. Everything is there.
I know who’s going to get there quickest. I can see what direction of travel they’re actually going in. I can get on the radio and tell people, hey, turn around. I need y’all to head to the city.
All of that being real-time, which is providing officer safety to — not only the officers, EMS, the fire department — but also getting that quicker response to the citizens.
Josh Henderson: Stay tuned. We’ll be right back with more of the Tyler Tech Podcast.
Hey there, Tyler Tech Podcast listeners. Have you heard the buzz? Our annual user conference, Tyler Connect 2025, is officially on the horizon. And I’m here with my colleague, Jade Champion, with some exciting news to share.
Jade Champion: That’s right. Early registration is now open, and trust us, you don’t want to miss this. Mark your calendars for May 11-14, 2025, because we’re heading back to sunny San Antonio, Texas.
Josh Henderson: I can picture it already. The unique charm of historic Market Square, the vibrant Riverwalk, and, of course, the iconic Alamo.
And let’s be honest, it’s not just the location that makes Tyler Connect a must-attend event.
Jade Champion: Absolutely. Tyler Connect is one of the largest gatherings of public sector professionals, and it’s your chance to collaborate with peers who are solving challenges with innovative solutions. It’s packed with product training, network opportunities, and inspiration to help you and your team thrive.
Josh Henderson: Whether you’re a first-timer or a Connect veteran, this conference always delivers. And let’s not forget, you’ll leave with new knowledge, practical tools, and meaningful connections to apply in your work and share with your teams.
Jade Champion: Head to tylertech.com/connect to take advantage of our early registration pricing, which secures your spot for an unforgettable time in San Antonio.
Josh Henderson: We can’t wait to see you at Tyler Connect 2025, a place to empower, collaborate, and imagine what’s possible for the public sector, all in the heart of Texas.
Now let’s get back to the Tyler Tech Podcast.
And that also extends to recruiting and retaining skilled officers. We talk about the workforce — retirements — that being such a large challenge these days. How can technology help agencies attract new talent and support their current workforce?
Pat Ninmann: First of all, I think the new hires today expect technology to be part of their everyday work life. I don’t want to keep referring back to back in the day when I started. You know, technology wasn’t to the forefront. I do remember when we put the MDCs in the deputy’s squad cars, and some of them were completely against it. They didn’t want the technology.
However, once they got to know it, once they got to learn it, if you would take their computer away from them, they were in your office saying, how am I going to do my job without my computer?
So, it’s been it’s become a requirement. And not only that, I think the skill level of new recruits is so much higher than back in the early 90’s that they’re able to learn quicker regarding procedures.
If they have questions regarding policies, anything like that, it’s all electronic now. So, they have everything that they need to do their job at their fingertips.
I am going to say, though, being in law enforcement, computers are an absolute necessity, but it’s also good that we hire so many great officers that can think on their feet as well.
Josh Henderson: Yeah. It’s a really great point that you make. Public safety agencies are increasingly relying so much on data and digital tools for situational awareness, emergency response, whatever it might be. With the rise of digital tools, agencies are sort of shifting from reactive to proactive approaches.
What advancements stand out to you as game changers for public safety?
Pat Ninmann: I would say a lot of it is that you’re able to pull that data and then analyze it and put it in a format that’s not only going to meet the needs of the most technical person, but also the ones who don’t have, they just need the visual. So, you can do a heat map. A lot of things let’s just take into account if you have a drug task force, you can actually create a heat map advising them, okay, here are all the recent suspect stops.
Maybe we’re seeing an increase on the northern part of our city. So, I’m going to increase my patrol to accommodate for those increases.
Just being able to pull that data and once again, in real-time. If I need a report based upon the calls for service within a certain period of time, you can go in there, couple, you know, keyboard actions, and boom, there’s your report. So, I think it’s allowing the agencies to — you know, everybody has to be fiscally responsible, and this allows you to review where you’re using your resources, how much resource do you need. When I was sheriff, I would run our calls for service.
And then I would run my formula. Do I have enough deputies that are going to be able to handle the increase in the calls for service that we have? Without that data, I would never have been able to go and ask for additional personnel.
Or, like I said, you can review it. Maybe you have so many in this bureau, but you need to reallocate some because you’re seeing an increase over in this area within your department. So, it’s very, in my opinion, especially for the command staff and the agency, the data is huge.
Josh Henderson: And now, Pat, how do cloud-based services factor into all of this?
Pat Ninmann: Well, cloud-based is huge.
I mean, that is the future that everybody is going to. We already have a couple different cloud applications, like our mobility apps, where the officers have the application on their phone. It’s at their fingertips.
So, they can actually query somebody, find out if there’s been any prior history, look up case notes, all of that. But also, just moving our customers to the cloud, we have seen huge success with our customers that have done that, and we’re continuing to work on that. Some of the things I’ve heard from our customers about the benefits of cloud is that it’s allowing them to have their IT people focus on other projects. Because once their applications are in the cloud, we’re more involved.
We’re helping them with their upgrades. The upgrades are right now — once you move to the cloud, you’re able to experience the enhancements and the new features more quickly than an on-prem solution. Because with on-prem, you may only get upgraded maybe once a year, every year and a half, where once you’re in the cloud, we let you know, hey, we have these enhancements.
We’re going to put them on the test side. They can go test them, and then we develop when you want to be put in production.
So, they’re at their fingertips. Also, security, I don’t know if you heard in the news, a lot of people are getting ransomware.
And our customers are feeling the true benefits of the additional security enhancements that you get being in the cloud. If you would have come to me ten years ago and said, hey, Pat, I want to take you to the cloud. Ten years ago, I’m like, oh, no.
No. It’s my data. I need control of my data. But with all of the new enhancements and the new features that, have been made with cloud software and just having your information to the cloud, I would have been front of the line saying sign me up. It’s one of those things that provides the law enforcement another reassurance that you’re doing the best for the citizens by providing them the best of the services, the software, everything that cloud has to offer.
Josh Henderson: That’s a great place to wrap things up as well, Pat. This has been such an informative conversation. Thank you so much for joining me on the show and hope to have you back on again soon.
Pat Ninmann: Oh, I’d love to. Thank you for having me.
Josh Henderson: Thank you for joining us for this conversation with Pat Ninmann, manager of client success here at Tyler.
Resilience is essential in public safety, ensuring that agencies can respond to emergencies, adapt to evolving threats, and maintain seamless operations to protect their communities.
At Tyler, we’re committed to providing the tools and support agencies need to enhance operational resilience and drive better public safety outcomes.
If you’d like to learn more about what we discussed today, check out our show notes for additional resources.
We’d also love to hear your feedback on today’s episode. Let us know your thoughts by filling out the survey linked in the show notes or reaching out to us anytime at podcast@tylertech.com. And be sure to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast so you won’t miss any upcoming episodes.
Next up, join us for part two of this series, where we continue the conversation with Paul Case, VP of client success and general manager for Tyler’s public safety team.
For Tyler Technologies, I’m Josh Henderson. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time on the Tyler Tech Podcast.