“We Can’t Imagine Working Without It” | A Conversation with Mike Moschetto on How ForceMetrics Supports Investigations and Patrol

ForceMetrics sat down with Mike Moschetto, an investigations supervisor with over two decades of experience in law enforcement. Mike shared how his department uses the ForceMetrics Velocity™ platform—from patrol to case assignment to digital forensics—and why it’s become a critical part of their daily operations.

Q: When did your agency first start using ForceMetrics Velocity™?

Mike: We were one of the early departments to start working with ForceMetrics, and actually helped shape the platform as it was being developed. That’s rare in this space. Most tools are built in a vacuum and handed to officers to figure out. ForceMetrics did the opposite—they asked how law enforcement actually works and built a product around that. The relationship started in 2021, and it’s grown into something we now rely on every day.

Q: What made ForceMetrics Velocity™ stand out compared to other law enforcement tools?

Mike: The difference was night and day. Most vendors show up with a product already built and expect us to adapt. ForceMetrics came in asking what we needed. They built a tool around the way officers think—whether we’re responding to a 911 call or investigating a case after the fact. It’s seamless, it’s fast, and it actually helps us solve crimes. That’s rare.

Q: What are your primary use cases for ForceMetrics Velocity™?

Mike: My role’s a bit different since I supervise investigations, but I use ForceMetrics to look up incident details, track repeat offenders, connect related cases, and even identify which detective has the strongest background with a particular suspect or crime type. For example, when a tip comes in from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that only includes an online handle or phone number, I can trace those identifiers to real people- and then instantly see every prior case file they appeared in, who led that investigation, and what outcomes were achieved. That means I don’t just randomly assign the next case; ForceMetrics shows me which detective already has rapport or the right expertise with that offender or offense pattern.

Before, pulling that kind of info meant poring through individual case files and calendars for hours. Now I cross-reference an offender’s history, see which detective handled similar cases, and make an assignment in seconds. That speed and level of insight totally changes how we allocate our resources.

Q: Can you share a time when the platform helped solve a specific case?

Mike: One case that really stood out involved an aggravated robbery where the only identifying detail was that the suspect wore bright orange Crocs. Using ForceMetrics, we were able to connect that detail to a prior theft where the same person had been identified—Crocs and all. Patrol officers—not detectives—made that connection. That just wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago. Today, officers in the field can surface those kinds of insights on the spot.

Q: Do different members of your team use ForceMetrics Velocity™ differently?

Mike: Absolutely. Patrol officers might use it to check an address before they arrive on scene—see who lives there, what kind of incidents have been reported in the past, that sort of thing. If someone tells them, “this has never happened before,” they can quickly pull up the history and see that, actually, it’s the sixth call in three months. That context matters.

Detectives use it for deeper investigations—connecting people, events, and locations. I use it to make sure cases are assigned efficiently and effectively. If one detective has prior experience with a suspect or a victim, that continuity helps. Or if there’s friction between parties, I might reassign a case to avoid that. It’s flexible enough to support all those needs.

Q: Has using the platform changed any behaviors on your team?

Mike: Yes, one big shift has been in note-taking. We always encouraged officers to write detailed notes in call comments, but not everyone did. Some would just put “civil dispute” and move on. Now, they see that good notes can help solve a case down the line. If you log full names, phone numbers, vehicle details, and a brief summary of what happened—even for minor calls—it can become a critical link later.

We’ve had instances where months or even years later, a call comment helped us tie two people together who claimed not to know each other. That kind of data matters, and when officers see the value firsthand, they start taking notes more seriously.

Q: Any sense of how much time ForceMetrics Velocity™ saves your team?

Mike: It’s hard to put an exact number on it, but it’s significant. For me, personally, I used to keep spreadsheets just to track suspects and case overlaps. I’d spend hours trying to remember names or tie things together manually. Now, I can just search and get what I need instantly.

And it’s not just about saving my time—it’s about saving time for my detectives too. If I hand them a case and it turns out another detective already has background on that same suspect, we’ve just duplicated work. With ForceMetrics, I can prevent that. That means faster resolutions and less wasted time.

Q: What would you say to someone at another agency who’s considering ForceMetrics?

Mike: I’d tell them this: It’s the most pivotal piece of software I’ve used in 22 years on the job. We’ve worked with a lot of vendors—some oversell what they can do, some hand you vaporware. ForceMetrics delivers. It’s not just another tool. It’s something we now consider essential. Every agency should have it.

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