Who I am, where I’m from:
John Boyd, Manager, Law Enforcement Relations. I reside in Northwest Indiana. My responsibilities with Utility take me across the Country. I work alongside our Business Managers and also meet with existing clients and bridge the gap between law enforcement agencies and Utility and bring a perspective of a recently retired law enforcement administrator.

A bit about myself:
I am a 1988 graduate of Purdue University where I majored in Criminal Justice. I was hired by the La Porte Police Department after graduation and served as a patrolman for 2 years. In 1990 I was hired by the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office where I served as a Patrol Deputy, DARE/GREAT Instructor, Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, Captain, Chief of Detectives, Major and was elected as Sheriff in 2014 and served two terms (Indiana has term limits). I retired December 31, 2022 after serving more than 34 years in law
enforcement.

During my career I served on the following boards and commissions:

• Board of Directors La Porte County Chapter of
• American Red Cross
• Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Board of Trustees
• Indiana Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch Board of Trustees
• Chairman and Vice Chairman of Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)

Awards:

• Chicago Police Department
• Joint Service Award 2022 Inductee
• Indiana Youth Ranch Wall of Fame
• 2024 recipient La Porte County Leadership Outstanding Alumni Award

Why should agencies choose Utility, Inc.:
Agencies should choose Utility for a number of reasons that include industry leading technology that provides for needs such as reliability and accuracy and enables efficiencies and streamlined work-flows. Utility technology also provides easy to access data and increases an agency’s transparency. Our technology enables agencies to accomplish Pillars II (Policy and Oversight) and III (Technology and Social Media) of the President’s Task Force recommendations on 21st Century Policing. In addition, we take great
pride in our customer service and care and our client-agency partnerships.

What inspired me to select a path working in the public safety sector:
I was influenced to pursue a career in law enforcement at a very young age. My 4th grade teacher’s husband was a Sheriff’s Deputy and he often visited my classroom and I always admired, respected and looked up to him and from that young age, I aspired to work in law enforcement, become a deputy at the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office and someday become Sheriff. Like my mentor, I wanted to make a positive difference in the community where I was raised. I was very fortunate to be able to accomplish those goals
that I set at a young age.

What does Transformative Transparency mean to me:
To me, transformative transparency means two-way conversations in which listening with an open mind is a key component. It also includes the ability to be open minded and change long-held thought processes based on the experiences, opinions and point of view of others.

Why should you trust Utility:
Utility is a trusted name in technology because of the reliability of our products and services and the people that provide them. We continue to deliver state-of-the-art digital systems for agencies that depend on us. Our services enhance the safety of officers and enable the agency to be more transparent with the public that they serve. The goal of Utility is not to make a sale; rather it is to provide a vitally important service and we continue to stand side-by-side with our agency partners to ensure that their needs are being
met.

The biggest lesson learned I’d like to share with Public Safety Leaders:
One of the biggest lessons that I have learned is to research prior to making an investment in technology and do not make the investment to merely “check a box”. Additionally, do not task officers do what technology can do for them.