WHAT’S NEW IN FLEX

What’s New in Flex - 2024.2

We're excited to highlight some of the work that was done in this latest release to improve your Flex system and the tools you use to manage your system. For a complete list of new features included in this release, please review the Flex Release Notes. To upgrade your system, schedule an appointment at flex-update.appointlet.com. Customer requests for upgrades will take place in the order they are scheduled.

Flex Platform

Performance Enhancements

We are excited to highlight the performance enhancements made in 2024.2 that have lowered average CPU usage by more than 400%! This will benefit all Flex users, from the dispatcher in the PSAP, to the officer in the field, to the records clerk back at the station. 

This enhancement was achieved through a Flex database update and is available on all upgrades. No settings changes needed.

Example of an agency's CPU performance before and after upgrading.

Encryption Warning on Login Page

With this newest enhancement, if “Encrypt” is unchecked on the server details page, a warning will appear on the login screen. This will help all Flex end users know that their connection to Flex is not encrypted and therefore may be violating CJIS policies. This enhancement is automatically activated based on the selection/lack of selection of the “Encrypt” checkbox. This is not configurable and the warning cannot be turned off if encrypted is turned off. 

As CJIS regulations continue to come out this year, and security continues to be of the utmost importance, this will be a great tool to aid Flex users as they work to abide by all CJIS policies. It will be available in both the Flex desktop and the Flex Mobile app.

SSL Validation Check Upon Login

Continuing our security enhancements to the Flex platform, this update makes it so Flex performs an SSL Validation check whenever any user logs on. If the validation check is not successful, the user will be prevented from logging into Flex. This will help agencies as they navigate updating invalid SSL certificates to improve the overall security of their system. 

It’s important to note that this feature is not configurable and cannot be turned off. The agency’s SAA can use the SSL CertCheckUtil to confirm validation and see where the problem is if the check is not successful. To help reduce the chance of an agency being caught by surprise with this newest enhancement, our Flex upgrade team requires all agencies to use the SSL CertCheckUtil prior to upgrading.

Flex CAD

Save CAD Incident Screen Location

We’re excited to announce this newest voter enhancement in Flex CAD, which will enable the CAD Incident screen to remember the location of where it was last closed and reopen it in that same position on the screen. This will save call takers and dispatchers valuable time and effort as they build out a screen display that works well for their specific workflow. 

To enable, follow the “Remember Window Positions” setting under File -> Config -> General Settings.

Flex Mobile

Mobile Evidence Workflow Enablement

Setting evidence for automatic workflow has long been a capability in Flex desktop. Now, we’re bringing that same capability to Flex Mobile. If evidence is set for automatic workflow and a piece of evidence is added via the Mobile Law Screen, the workflow will automatically begin. This will save patrol officers time and make everyone’s processes more efficient. 

To enable this feature, automatic workflow needs to be turned on for Evidence. The wfcfg apparam should contain evmain evmain.number A.

Flex Records

Agency Specific Law Circumstances

This newest enhancement allows users to filter and only see law circumstances that are attached to their agency. For shared agencies particularly, using this new filter will make it easier to review and get to the information that is most critical or applicable. Users can still see a complete list of circumstances by pressing “Show All.” This was a heavily-requested feature from customers, so we’re excited to offer it in 2024.1 and beyond! 

To enable this feature, add the appropriate agency code to Flex Records in lwtbcirc. Make sure that syparam codefltr is set to “Yes”. 

Flex IBR

Clery Updates

To help clery officers using Flex better manage which offenses need reporting, we’ve made some big enhancements to Clery Reporting. Now, users can include all offenses on the report. Since not all of the offenses may need to be reported to clery, officers can utilize a new “Clery Offense” field. If an offense does not need to be reported, simply click the dropdown and select “Do not report.” The additional Clery Comments box next to it allows users to quickly write up why they are not reporting the offense. With the changes, we also added a report to display clery comments and offenses that were changed. These changes will help provide the flexibility Flex customers need to complete clery reporting the way it needs to be done. To enable, simply go to Sypriv -> clerydonotreport.

WHAT’S NEW IN FLEX - 2024.1

We're excited to highlight some of the work that was done in this latest release to improve your Flex system and the tools you use to manage your system. For a complete list of all the new features included in this release, please review the Flex Release Notes. To upgrade your system, schedule an appointment at flex-update.appointlet.com. Customer requests for upgrades will take place in the order they are scheduled.

Flex Platform

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 certification

We are pleased to announce that Flex is now certified to run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9! This is exciting news for any agency wanting to move to the latest version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Now, migrations and new Flex implementations can be installed on RHEL 9, which has an end-of-maintenance date of 2032.

Flex CAD

Retain unit dispatch order

We’re very excited to announce this newest feature in Flex CAD, which will retain the order of the units displayed in the CAD incident screen, and in the Units field of the call status monitor, to be the same order as what the units were dispatched in. This new functionality will make dispatching over the radio easier and more consistent, because units in the same order are easier for dispatchers to monitor.

This feature will also enable any interfaces connected to CAD to send units in the order they are dispatched. This new feature, and its impact on workflows with interfaces, will be particularly useful when dispatching fire units.

Flex GIS

Automatic unit status updates

This new GIS feature will automatically update the status of a unit based on its proximity to the unit’s assigned station, or its assigned CAD call. This can act as a backup to first responders using their radio, or mobile application, to update their unit’s status, helping dispatchers and others at the agency stay up-to-date on the latest information. For example, if responders become focused on unfolding events and forget to update their status via radio or Flex Mobile, this feature can automatically update their status, resulting in more accurate response-time reporting and increased officer safety.

To set up this feature, administrators need to enable each unit to participate in auto status changes, which can be done from a new field in the cdunit table. There’s also a new section in the tb10code table where administrators will need to set up rules regarding when the status will change, etc.

Send AVL data to CommandCentral

This update enables Flex AVL information to be forwarded to CommandCentral Location Services. This will allow CommandCentral solutions, such as Aware and CAD Viewer, to display the location of Flex units on their maps, increasing visibility for other agency personnel and command staff who may be monitoring events through these cloud solutions. This keeps Flex as the main source of information, while also allowing users to seamlessly share that information with other stakeholders.

Flex Records

Granular digital asset sync

Integration between Flex and CommandCental Evidence is now better than ever with new table-specific and bidirectional digital asset syncing capabilities. The current two-way sync between Flex and CommandCentral Evidence has been enhanced to allow administrators to select which tables in Flex they want to sync files and/or images from. In addition, there are two new sync options:

• A one-way sync from the cloud to an agency’s on-premises Flex system allows Evidence Library, CommandCentral Evidence and CommandCentral Responder users to have their files automatically linked in Flex as soon as they are tagged with an incident number and uploaded to CommandCentral Evidence. This means users can easily see all of an incident’s related digital assets in one spot, regardless of where it came from initially. 
• A one-way sync from Flex to CommandCentral Evidence moves digital files such as videos, images or PDFs, to the cloud via CommandCentral Evidence. This protects agency data while also reducing server storage space requirements.

File Capture screen enhancements

With this update, a “Created Time” column has been added to the File Capture screen. This is the first of many changes coming to this screen as we create parity between the metadata captured in CommandCentral Evidence and the metadata shown in Flex. This particular update will record the EXIF Created Time data from files uploaded to Flex and the Created Time from CommandCentral Evidence for any synced files coming into Flex from Evidence. This will help patrol officers determine when an image was captured, not just uploaded, without having to go back into CommandCentral Evidence.

This new column is automatically enabled on the File Capture screen. Stay tuned for more updates coming to this screen as we improve workflow processes and user experience.

Flex Jail

Inmate lists: bonds/holds/flags

In 2024.1, Flex Jail received additional columns that display flags, bonds and holds to the Inmate List screen. By reducing the overall clicks and keystrokes it takes to check this same information, correction officers can save valuable time and keep a better visual on the information they need, right when they need it.

There are no specific settings that need to be configured for this feature. Jail personnel can enable these new columns by clicking the Customize button and selecting which columns they want to use.

Texas jail report

With this latest update to Flex Jail, jail facilities in Texas can now take advantage of the new rpjltxpop report. This report is available to help keep Texas facilities in compliance with state mandates, while deepening agencies’ investment in their existing Flex Jail solution.

Jail administrators can find this report in a new jail module in Admin Util: Module.Jail.TX. The report uses Booking Types to pull the information, so administrators will need to match the information with what the agency uses for booking types.

What’s New in Flex Q4 2023

We're excited to review the work that was done this past quarter to improve your Flex system and the tools you use to manage your system. To upgrade your system, schedule an appointment at flex-update.appointlet.com. Customer requests for upgrades will take place as they are currently scheduled.

Flex CAD

New MOV Command

We’re excited to highlight our new MOV command, created specifically to improve dispatchers’ workflows by allowing users to move multiple apparatus in one action. Dispatchers can now conduct routine tasks, such as moving apparatus from multiple stations to one station, quicker and easier, saving valuable time during the most critical moments. Users can also type in “h” to move units back to their “home” station and zone (as defined in cdunit).

This new MOV command replaces both the UZ (update zone) and CS (change station) CAD commands. 

Changes to Covering Zones

Unit Recommendations are a helpful tool for many dispatchers using Flex. This newest update helps bring even more intuitiveness to the zone orders that Flex uses to determine recommendations.

Starting in 2023.4, Covering Zones has been moved down the sorting order, replacing the previous Zone sort parameter. This will ensure that agency, function and station are not being unintentionally negated. Additionally, Mutual Aid limitations now work with Covering Zones.

Flex Mobile

Call Filtering

Wishing you could easily filter through the seemingly endless list of calls to find the ones that matter most to you? Now you can. With the 2023.4 update, field officers and supervisors can set advanced filters for calls in Flex Touch. Users can filter based on zones, agencies or call types. This includes being able to filter by other agencies’ calls as well.

In addition, advanced unit filtering capabilities will be available to Touch users by the end of 2023.

10-21 Integration

We are very excited to announce a new integration between Flex Touch and 10-21 Police Phone. Touch users can now quickly make mobile calls to the public that are more likely to get answered while protecting their device’s number and their personal privacy. 

Officers can tap phone numbers from incidents, comments or name records in Flex Touch to initiate virtual calling via 10-21 Police Phone. This new integration saves responders from having to leave the Flex Touch app to access a different application while trying to remember ten digits to dial - and it’s free for existing 10-21 Police Phone and Flex Touch customers!

Flex Records

Demographics Summary

Many states across the country are beginning to require demographic information in the summary report. With this newest update, Flex makes that easier than ever. Field officers will now be able to record the demographic information from within the Incident table in Mobile, rather than having to log into the desktop version of Flex. Filling this demographic information out at the same time they fill out the rest of the law incident will help officers insert the most accurate and clear details for the report.

This functionality is turned on by default in the law incident in Mobile. This can also be turned on in Flex CAD, allowing dispatchers to start filling out perceived demographic information when they begin a traffic stop call. At the conclusion of the call, the officer or dispatcher can fill in the actual information. Any information collected from the CAD side is immediately available on the Records side.

Consolidated Release Notes

The Flex team has done a lot of work to make the release notes more accessible and user friendly for our customers. The Flex release notes are now compiled into one document that contains the last 8 releases of Flex. The team is continuing to work on this and more (past) releases will be added to the document as time goes on.

By keeping everything in one place, users will no longer have to bounce back and forth between documents. They can refer to one document at a time, while still finding what they need through a comprehensive table of contents.

WHAT’S NEW IN FLEX Q3 2023

We're excited to review the work that was done this past quarter to improve your Flex system and the tools you use to manage your system. To upgrade your system, schedule an appointment at flex-update.appointlet.com. Customer requests for upgrades will take place as they are currently scheduled.

Flex CAD

Complainant Search by Phone

For telecommunicators, being able to save seconds during searches can make all of the difference in getting critical information over to field personnel. With the 2023.3 update, telecommunicators can now quickly find a complainant in the CAD incident screen via their phone number.

The caller’s phone number is pre-populated into this new phone number field in the complainant search. The Names table is searched by home, work and other phone numbers automatically.

Additional Fields in On-Site Call Form

Searching information in the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS) is useful as long as you can be confident in the results you get back. 

This newest update in the 2023.3 release helps telecommunicators receive more accurate returns from the NLETS by adding License Year and License Type fields to the OSC command. This gives users more information to search by. A comments field has also been added.

Customizable Lists in CAD

Users have been able to customize search result lists to show the information most important to them when pulling lists in other areas of Flex. With the 2023.3 update, users can now enjoy this same functionality in Flex CAD for better search results and faster comprehension.

Users who want to change the predefined sort order and arrangement of columns in populated lists are now able to sort and customize the lists directly in CAD. Sort, Filter, Group, Export, Print and Save are options that are available to customers to customize their experience.

ArcGIS Pro Support With Address Type-Ahead

Flex now supports ESRI ArcGIS Pro. Using new ArcGIS Pro Tools, agency GIS administrators can use ArcGIS Pro to manage and publish GIS information to ArcGIS Pro Locators. Additionally, telecommunicators will be able to select addresses from a type-ahead list, saving valuable time.

Updating to ArcGIS Pro is considered a major update. Be sure to contact the Motorola Solutions GIS Services team or your sales representative for more details.

Flex Mobile

License & Permits Now Available in Mobile

Field officers often find themselves needing to update or view licenses and permits information while in Mobile. Now, with the 2023.3 update, users can add, view and edit licenses and permits from Mobile without having to switch to the full version of Flex.

To do this, users can navigate to the Form screen and then click the License/Permits link. Officers can then complete the fields as needed and save.

Flex Records

.NET 6.0 SDK Now Required

Flex 2023.3 requires the .NET 6.0 SDK to be installed on all Windows clients that utilize Flex. If you launch Flex 2023.3 without the .NET 6.0 SDK, Flex will prompt you to install it.

.NET 6.0 SDK helps our developers work more quickly and securely while supporting under-the-hood stability improvements throughout all aspects of the Flex suite. If your agency does not have .NET 6.0 SDK installed when launching Flex 2023.3 and beyond, users will be unable to launch Flex until it is installed.

Pronoun Field Added to Names Table

Certain states and jurisdictions are requiring the use of pronouns when creating name records. The updates in 2023.3 help your agency to easily comply with these standards.

There is now a dedicated place in the Names table for an individual's pronoun. This data is able to be accessed via API or all other interfaces that may require it. You can see the new Pronoun field on the Names screen on Flex Desktop, the View Names screen in Mobile, as well as the Add/Edit Names screen in Mobile. A few basic pronouns are loaded by default and can be updated by an administrator by using the nmtbpron table.

Flex IBR

Synopsis Report Upgrade

There has been an upgrade to the Synopsis Report, which administration and IBR clerks can utilize with 2023.3 and beyond to find updated crime statistics that have been reported to the state.

To utilize this upgrade, go to the webapplication server and click on the state IBR processor. Click on “synopsis report.” Then search for the month/months you want to see statistics for.