Chicopee Police Department fights crime smarter with Google Workspace and SADA

Digitally transforming public safety

The City of Chicopee, Massachusetts, a community of approximately 56,000 residents, has long been known as the “Crossroads of New England.” The Chicopee Police Department (CPD), which serves Chicopee, recently found themselves at a different sort of crossroads. Archaic paperwork procedures and a lack of IT infrastructure were taking them away from their core policing mission. With a force of more than 150 sworn officers, CPD is tasked with maintaining public safety, addressing crime, and engaging with the community. 

In recent years, the department has been making strides toward integrating technology to streamline internal operations and achieve department objectives related to crime response, a shift that began in earnest around 2018. “We’ve become very technology-driven, and that’s relatively new for us,” says CPD Deputy Chief of Police and CTO, Eric Watson.

Business challenge

Modernizing police communication and ensuring security compliance

CPD faced several operational challenges. The department relied heavily on outdated, paper-based processes for critical workflows such as vehicle inspections and firearms licensing, which led to delays and inaccuracies. An old on-premises email server with limited accounts also prevented fluid communication.

“We were using a lot of paper forms, and it was just very cumbersome,” recalls CPD Sergeant Matthew Post. “Delays in processing paperwork were taking away time from what officers should be focusing on.”

As a law enforcement agency handling sensitive criminal justice information, CPD needs to comply with strict Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) standards. However, their systems lacked robust security features, making it difficult to handle sensitive data securely. “We deal with criminal justice information that must be encrypted in transit and at rest,” explains Deputy Chief Watson. “Our previous system didn’t meet these security needs.”

Additionally, CPD struggled to efficiently disseminate time-sensitive alerts, such as notifications for stolen vehicles. Communication was limited to email chains, resulting in delays that impacted law enforcement’s ability to act swiftly.

Solution

Beginning the Google Workspace transformation with SADA

To solve CPD’s challenges, the department established a relationship with SADA, An Insight company and multiple-time Google Cloud Partner of the Year, which marked a turning point in their modernization efforts. Building on an active engagement with Google Workspace, SADA stepped in to help CPD further utilize the productivity and collaboration solution, expanding its reach within the organization, while ensuring compliance with CJIS standards.

“The real transformation began when we engaged SADA,” says Deputy Chief Watson. “That’s when everything took off.”

SADA supported CPD in implementing Google Workspace Enterprise Plus with advanced security controls, including Google Cloud’s Assured Controls, which align with FIPS 140-2 encryption standards. This ensured that sensitive information remained secure on U.S.-based servers. “Google Workspace’s security features, paired with SADA’s compliance expertise, gave us the confidence to store sensitive data in the cloud,” adds Sergeant Post.

Meeting the security compliance needs of CPD

SADA differentiated itself from other solution providers by demonstrating a deep commitment to meeting CJIS compliance standards. The SADA team underwent background checks, fingerprinting, and specialized security training to work with CPD’s CJIS-protected data.

“What really stood out about SADA was their willingness to jump through the hoops that no one else would,” says Sergeant Post. “They went through all the background checks and training just to meet our compliance needs.”

SADA’s prior experience with sensitive projects, including a Google Workspace collaboration with the U.S. Army, assured CPD of their capability to handle complex compliance requirements. “I thought if SADA could work with the U.S. Army, they could certainly work with us,” says Deputy Chief Watson.

Enhancing internal communications and digitizing workflows with custom apps

With SADA’s guidance, CPD rolled out Google Workspace access across the department, equipping all officers and staff with email accounts for streamlined communications. Additionally, CPD deployed Google Chat and Spaces to replace mass email communication. Each district was assigned its own chat space, reducing inbox clutter and enabling quicker decision-making.

“When everything was communicated via email, it diluted the message,” explains Sergeant Post. “Now, updates are organized, and officers receive only the information that’s relevant to them.”

CPD used Google Sites to centralize internal resources, simplifying access to critical information. Previously, officers spread out among 30 vehicles had to navigate up to 15 separate websites to access resources. Now, updates are managed centrally, improving efficiency. “Google Sites is very intuitive—no coding required,” notes Sergeant Post. “I was able to set it up myself, which saved us from hiring external developers.”

Additionally, CPD employed Google AppSheet to build custom applications for vehicle inspections, firearms licensing, and other administrative processes, digitizing what were previously paper-based workflows. “We built apps for everything, saving time and reducing costs,” says Sergeant Post.

Impact

Increasing operational efficiency, communication, and collaboration

As a result of adopting Google Workspace and collaborating with SADA, CPD achieved new levels of operational efficiency. Custom applications built in Google AppSheet streamlined tasks like vehicle inspections, saving both time and resources that can be redirected toward innovative public safety initiatives. The transformation has not only enabled CPD to become more self-sufficient but also allowed them to focus resources on core policing duties. 

Google Chat and Spaces reduced email clutter and improved information dissemination. Meanwhile, new license plate reader alerts were integrated into Google Chat, doubling the recovery rate of stolen vehicles and contributing to the removal of firearms and drugs from the streets.

“Just that one little Google Chat Space has recovered a lot of stolen cars,” says Deputy Chief Watson. “It’s gotten a lot of guns off the street and drugs as well.”

Leveraging Google Maps for real-time alerts and enhanced public safety 

Leveraging Google Maps with custom overlays improved situational awareness for CPD officers, particularly in cases involving vulnerable populations. “If I get sent to the intersection of Center and Main Street for a small child found wandering, I can look at Google Maps and see which houses nearby might have a child with autism,” says Sergeant Post. 

Digitizing public services like appointment scheduling via Google Forms reduced administrative overhead and improved citizen interactions. “We’re hearing great feedback from citizens about the ease of scheduling,” says Sergeant Post.

Empowering officers with training resources and ongoing security enhancements

CPD created a centralized training hub on Google Sites, allowing officers to access materials anytime. This self-paced approach ensured officers stayed informed even if they missed roll call.

“We’re starting conversations on reimagining how we deal with security, and SADA has been instrumental in helping us explore those options,” says Deputy Chief Watson. “We now have a training center on our website where we can post videos so officers can review them at their convenience.”

SADA’s support ensured ongoing compliance with CJIS standards, enabling CPD to securely handle sensitive law enforcement data. “Transitioning to Google Workspace has freed up officers to focus on what they do best—policing,” concludes Deputy Chief Watson. “The time saved by going digital means we can spend more time protecting our community. It gives cops time to be cops.”

Overall, by collaborating with SADA, the Chicopee Police Department successfully modernized their operations, improved communication, and enhanced public safety, using Google Workspace to:

• Reduce paperwork and administrative overhead, enabling officers to focus more on core policing activities.
• Achieve 100% compliance with Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) standards, ensuring a secure implementation and safeguarding sensitive data.
• Streamline communication by implementing Google Chat and Spaces, reducing email clutter and improving response times.
• Enable real-time alerts through integration with Google Chat, resulting in a doubling of stolen vehicle recoveries and more efficient patrols.
• Leverage Google AppSheet for no-code custom apps, eliminating the need for external contractors and saving on development costs.