For Immediate Release

Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Delphi Holds SafeWatch Focus Group Session

LAWRENCE — Delphi Technology Solutions Inc. held the first of several small focus groups with local police departments earlier this month.

Representatives from the Saugus, Lawrence, Ipswich, Medford, Norwood, Burlington and Woburn police departments gathered at noontime Wednesday, Jan. 23, at Delphi Technology Solutions’ Lawrence office to learn more about SafeWatch, a feature of Delphi’s Digital Headquarters (DHQ). SafeWatch compiles information about residents ‘at risk’ for potentially wandering or going missing due to conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, autism, or other illness.

Lawrence Police Sgt. Sandy Picard spoke at the forum about her experience using SafeWatch and how it was key in the development of her department’s own SafeWatch program. She also shared her experiences with community outreach, an essential step to gather and store information that could help locate an at-risk community member should it be needed.

“Using SafeWatch, Sgt. Picard is able to catalog at-risk children’s data such as photos, verbal abilities, places they may go to such as parks or near water, or interests such as computers or sports,” said Delphi President James Trombly. “In the event that a child or elder goes missing, the software allows Sgt. Picard to deploy this information to everyone in the department during the vital first moments of a search.”

Several other officers shared how the software has benefited their departments, and also discussed possible future uses for SafeWatch, like sharing data in DHQ SafeWatch between departments when at-risk community members move from one town or city to another.

Karin Rhoton, Delphi’s vice president of operations, also stressed that SafeWatch is easy to use, and accessible to anyone who can operate a desktop computer application. She said it can also be customized to meet the needs of different size departments and communities.

Additional forums will take place at the Delphi Technology Solutions office in Lawrence on Feb. 19 and March 28, both at noon. Departments interested in signing up to attend a forum can do so by emailing Delphi’s Vice President of Operations Karin Rhoton at [email protected] or by calling 978-683-4501.

More forums may be offered on other features of DHQ, depending on the interest of local public safety departments. Possible future topics would include roll call, smart police, cruiser checklist, scheduling, training, and accreditation features of DHQ software.

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