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Dickenson County, located in the southwestern corner of Virginia, is a rural community with a population of around 15,000 residents. Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) strives to provide all citizens with the highest degree of protection of their lives and property and to develop community responsibility directed at reducing crime and enhancing public safety.
As a public safety agency serving this community, the DCSO faced challenges in managing their operations with legacy software systems that were not fully integrated and didn’t meet their needs.
In 2021, DCSO partnered with SOMA Global, a leading provider of public safety software solutions, to implement a new suite of software including Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management System (RMS), Solve and Mobile. Since then, DCSO has experienced significant improvements in their operations and appreciates the partnership they have developed with SOMA.
“Working with SOMA has been a game changer for us. We now have a fully integrated system that allows us to manage our operations more efficiently and effectively,” Mike Stidham, the chief investigator with Dickenson County, said.
Kevin Young, senior solutions specialist at SOMA, has been working closely with Stidham and the DCSO team to ensure that the software meets their needs: “We take a consultative approach with our clients. We understand that every agency has unique needs and requirements, and we work closely with them to ensure that our solutions are configured to their specific needs to serve their team members and their communities.”
One of the things that sets SOMA apart, according to Stidham, is their unwavering support in times of need: “Whenever we have an issue or need assistance, SOMA is there for us within minutes,” he says. “They understand the critical nature of our work and are always willing to go above and beyond to ensure that our operations are running smoothly.”
Stidham also appreciates SOMA’s commitment to hiring experts from the public safety field. “It’s clear that SOMA understands the challenges that public safety agencies face,” he says. “Their team includes many experts who have worked in law enforcement and other public safety roles, which gives us confidence that they understand our needs and can provide solutions that work for us.”
The partnership between DCSO and SOMA Global has been successful, with the implementation of new software solutions resulting in significant improvements to the department’s operations. The software has streamlined processes and provided tools that better meet the unique needs of Dickenson.
As a result, the department has been able to enhance their response times and provide more comprehensive support to the community they serve.
“We couldn’t be happier with the results we’ve seen since partnering with SOMA. They’ve been a great partner to work with, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them in the future,” Stidham said.