%20(16).png)
"We Can’t Imagine Working Without It": How Abilene PD Uses ForceMetrics to Power Investigations, Patrol, and Smarter Case Assignments
The Abilene Police Department has been using the ForceMetrics Velocity™ platform since 2021. As one of the early adopters, they helped shape the platform during its development, representing an uncommon level of collaboration in public safety technology. For Sergeant Mike Moschetto, who supervises the Investigations team, ForceMetrics has become an essential part of day-to-day operations, from allocating cases to uncovering links between people, places, and events. You can hear more directly from Mike in his video interview here or on ForceMetrics' YouTube channel.
Before ForceMetrics, Abilene PD relied heavily on manual processes for both investigations and case assignment. Detectives had to search through old case files, hand-written notes, calendars, and spreadsheets to find relevant history or determine the right person to take on a new case. Supervisors had no easy way to see which officers had prior interactions or context on a given suspect. This often led to duplicated work, missed connections, and slower resolution times.
On the patrol side, officers lacked a simple way to access call history or contextual data in the field. Many relied on memory, guesswork, or time-consuming back-and-forth with dispatch. Note-taking practices also varied widely from officer to officer, making it hard to search old reports or uncover patterns over time. As Sgt. Moschetto described it, “Everything felt disconnected. We knew the data was there, but getting to it was always the hard part.”
With ForceMetrics, Abilene PD gained a centralized, intuitive platform for real-time search, pattern recognition, and case context. The system integrates data from across RMS, CAD, and other internal records, giving users fast, consistent access to information that was previously siloed or difficult to retrieve. Key capabilities include:
By consolidating fragmented workflows into a single interface, the platform improves clarity, continuity, and decision-making across the department.
Case Assignment: Supervisors can now assign cases more strategically, with visibility into which detectives have the most relevant background or strongest rapport with the individuals involved. This reduces duplicated effort and improves investigative outcomes.
Investigations: The platform helps surface connections between seemingly unrelated incidents. In one case, officers linked a suspect’s bright orange shoes to a prior theft, leading to a positive ID that would have taken hours—or analyst support—to uncover using legacy systems.
Field Context: Officers routinely check an address or person before arriving on scene, using prior call history and notes to better understand potential risks, patterns, or community dynamics. This additional context strengthens safety and situational awareness.
Smarter Notes: Access to well-documented past cases has encouraged better habits around note-taking. Officers are more likely to include helpful, searchable details, knowing these can impact future investigations and responses.
Time Savings: Tasks that once required manually scanning reports, asking dispatch for background, or flipping through spreadsheets can now be completed in seconds. This speed has improved both day-to-day efficiency and overall case throughput.
Use Cases Covered
Trusted by the Majority: 75% of Abilene PD uses Velocity monthly. At Abilene Police Department, Velocity isn’t just another tool—it’s the platform that officers, analysts, dispatchers, and command staff actively rely on every month. With 75% of personnel logging in regularly, it's clear that Velocity delivers real value where it matters most: in the field, in the station, and in every decision made to protect the community. Adoption at this scale doesn’t happen by accident—it happens when a solution actually makes the job easier, faster, and more connected.
This case study is based on a live interview and published Q&A with Sergeant Mike Moschetto. Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity.