ForceMetrics is the leading proactive decision-assist platform for first responders, providing real-time and actionable insights that enhance officer safety and improve community outcomes. Pulse 2.0 interviewed ForceMetrics co-founder and CEO Andre McGregor to learn more about the company.
Andre McGregor’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? McGregor said:
“I am a veteran FBI special agent with expertise in cybersecurity, counter terrorism and counterintelligence. During my time at the FBI, I led cyber investigations and collaborated with various government agencies to enhance national security. My experience revealed the need for a more simplified way to integrate data across multiple systems while providing access to all responders in public safety, which inspired my vision to start ForceMetrics and equip first responders with real-time, actionable information and make it available on their smartphone.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? McGregor shared:
“The idea for ForceMetrics was born out of the need to fill the information gap that first responders face when determining safety and social needs for the people they interact with everyday. Right now, this data does exist on someone’s prior mental health needs, safety concerns and even risk of domestic violence, but it’s impossible to effectively access. Public safety agencies are hampered by outdated systems and disconnected data sources. These limitations hinder their ability to access information that could be life-saving, jeopardizing the safety of both responders and the public. The status quo is no longer an option, and there is a pressing need for a solution that interconnects and streamlines different data sources, provides instant situational awareness and enhances decision-making capabilities for every team member.”
“ForceMetrics was created to solve this lack of accessible, actionable data for first responders during critical situations. Without real-time information that is accessible on their smartphones, responders are often unaware of crucial details that could impact safety and decision-making, leading to slower response times and misallocated resources. Our decision-assist app works on any law enforcement device and integrates data from existing public service agency databases – including criminal, behavioral health and social services – recognizes victimization patterns and identifies key physical markers so officers can better manage situations before they escalate.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? McGregor reflected:
“Being able to put engineers in cop cars and having them come back with stories saying it is nothing like CSI or NCIS but rather real people with real problems working together under very harsh conditions and limited time.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? McGregor explained:
“ForceMetrics is the leading decision-assist public safety platform that consolidates critical information for first responders and provides real-time, actionable insights, saving time, money and lives. The platform provides immediate access to crucial data, empowering responders answering 911 calls in the field to make informed, in-the-moment decisions that prevent, intervene and resolve issues at the time they are happening. By surfacing real-time Safety Signals in search results, ForceMetrics gives first responders quick, actionable insights into critical risks—such as mental health issues, dementia, overdose concerns and domestic violence victimization. This enhances situational awareness and decision-making for police officers, firefighters, EMTs and dispatchers, allowing them to assess potential safety and social needs issues instantly.”
“Leveraging machine learning and other advanced analytical techniques to organize and categorize the unstructured ‘data dump’ currently provided, ForceMetrics extracts the value from data across CAD, RMS, JMS and other systems into one cohesive platform. This helps public safety agencies in their struggle with accessing and sorting through information from disparate systems. Its adaptive search capability, powered by topic modeling and named entity recognition, allows users to search any term across all systems in seconds. This ensures that responders can quickly access the information they need in seconds. The Pathfinder feature synthesizes and maps out key associations, such as people, addresses and event timelines, providing a comprehensive view of the situation at hand.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your work sector recently? McGregor acknowledged:
“In the past for police departments, data was treated as something for the analysts and not really actionable for the officer answering a 911 call. We have been on a mission to change hearts and minds to show that data is as important – if not more important – than the tools on the officer gun belt.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? McGregor noted:
“We have continued to add more and more closed-circuit data to the platform while continuing to keep a very simplistic data story for our users. We added safety signals to alert a responder when they may encounter someone with a non-visual special need, such as autism, and even provided a way to surface those same people in-real-time for co-responders and school resource officers looking to be proactive on people who may need support in the near future.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? McGregor cited:
“Some of the company’s most significant milestones include raising $22 million in funding to accelerate our mission to empower law enforcement to respond to emergency situations more safely and effectively. Our platform is currently being used by over 30 police departments across 11 states in cities such as Aurora CO, Beverly Hills CA, Winston Salem NC and Waco TX, with plans for expansion to 50 departments by the end of 2025. We’ve also partnered with a large big box retailer to help reduce crime, as well as the significant drain on public resources that occurs when police are involved in thousands of minor incidents each year.”
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? McGregor highlighted this quote:
ForceMetrics has quickly become a cornerstone technology for the Winston-Salem Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center. Its seamless integration of CAD and RMS data, combined with the inclusion of images and Axon video in a user-friendly format, has significantly enhanced not only the RTCC but the entire department,” added Lieutenant B.A. Jones, Winston-Salem Police Department. “By putting this platform directly in the hands of officers, ForceMetrics empowers them to conduct investigations with actionable leads, resulting in quick identifications, arrests and case closures. The Winston-Salem Police Department is committed to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance public safety. My primary responsibility is to evaluate such technologies, ensuring that our department remains a leader in innovation and ForceMetrics has met and exceeded all expectations, helping us achieve our mission of creating a safer community.”
Funding
Are you able to discuss funding? McGregor revealed:
“ForceMetrics has raised $22 million to date, including lead investment by Costanoa Ventures with additional support from the Hobson Lucas Family Foundation (founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson), Stand Together Venture Labs (previously the Charles Koch Institute), GovTech Fund, Flybridge Capital, Growth Warrior Capital and more. The recent funding is being used to help accelerate the company’s mission to empower law enforcement to respond to emergency situations more safely and effectively.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? McGregor assessed:
Law enforcement and public safety are massive, growing markets. The SOM is $4.7B, the global law enforcement software market (SAM) is $16.4 billion and the global public safety and security market (TAM) is $511 billion.” [Source]
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? McGregor affirmed:
“ForceMetrics stands apart from traditional, complex analytics tools by offering an intuitive app that is powered by a sophisticated data analytics platform. It requires minimal training and is accessible to everyone in a public safety agency—from records clerks and command staff to specialty teams and investigators. This innovation lets departments eliminate time-consuming manual processes and focus on their core mission of protecting and serving the community. The platform’s unique features that distinguish it from other public safety data analytics solutions include automated text summarization and data classification, automated risks and needs labels, a single search bar for all systems, a universal data model and proactive alerts.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? McGregor concluded:
“ForceMetrics exists to empower first responders with the tools they need to make faster, more informed decisions, enhancing public safety across diverse communities. As such, it is important to get ForceMetrics in the hands of every responder answering a 911 call for service. The company’s mission is to make vital data instantly accessible to first responders, saving time, money and lives by providing context and insights when they are needed most. ForceMetrics is currently being used by over 30 police departments across 11 states and the company aims to expand this number exponentially and ultimately, create safer communities.”
