Stockton, California – September 1st, 2021 –  Guardian Alliance Technologies, Inc. announced today that long-time public safety executive, Judy Pal, has joined its Advisory Board, further expanding the company’s team of innovative leaders and advisors.

 “It’s a privilege to join Guardian Alliance Technologies’ Advisory Board” said Judy Pal.  “As committed as I am to promoting legitimacy and professionalism in law enforcement, Guardian’s commitment to helping agencies hire and retain the best is just as strong. Ethics and integrity form the foundation of a community’s trust in their police, and an agency’s ability to ensure its staff upholds those standards is key.”

Prior to embarking on a full‐time teaching and consulting career, Pal served as an Assistant Commissioner with the NYPD, Director of Operations for the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI‐LEEDA), Chief of Staff with the Baltimore and Milwaukee Police Departments, and was a member of the command staff of the Atlanta and Savannah, GA, and Halifax, Canada, police departments.

Judy also worked in the private sector with former NYPD Commissioner William J. Bratton working on international law enforcement projects with the government of Chile and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

She has conducted image, media and crisis training for thousands of law enforcement professionals during her more than two decades of public service.  She has spoken at events across North America, as well as in Australia, Uruguay, and Manila. She is a regular instructor for FBI Regional Command Colleges across the country, FBI‐LEEDA, and the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration in Texas.   She is a past President of the National Information Officers Association and also serves on the Verizon First Responders’ Advisory Council.  Pal holds a master’s degree in Public Relations and earned her Certificate in Police Leadership from Dalhousie University in Canada.

Ryan Layne, CEO of Guardian, stated “We are truly blessed to have such an incredible group of professionals align their names and reputation with the Guardian Alliance brand by joining our Advisory Board.  We rely heavily on their input and feedback to ensure we are delivering the best possible tools to law enforcement.  Judy brings with her a wealth of knowledge, experience, and a unique perspective that will be instrumental in furthering Guardian’s mission in support of the law enforcement profession.” 

About Guardian

Guardian Alliance Technologies, Inc. is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the law enforcement profession through innovative solutions, technology, and strategic partnerships aimed at improving the process of vetting and hiring law enforcement professionals.

Stockton, California – Aug. 26, 2021  – Guardian Alliance Technologies is proud to announce it has completed the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Transformation Program (PTP), furthering the reliability and security of the Guardian Background Investigation Software Platform. 

Last year, Guardian joined the AWS Partner Network (APN) and participated in the AWS ISV Partner Path and PTP. Through the PTP, Guardian worked with leaders at AWS and solutions architects to accelerate the Guardian-AWS relationship through go-to-market strategies as well as taking a deep dive into Guardian’s technological infrastructure. During the 100-day PTP, Guardian completed the AWS Well-Architected Review and AWS Foundational Technical Review (FTR), and has now received the “Reviewed by AWS” badge.

“Guardian is already serving hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the country, and we’re onboarding new agencies every day. That means more and more data is entering the Guardian ecosystem on a daily basis as well,” said Ryan Layne, CEO, Guardian. “System reliability, data security, and privacy are at the core of all that we do, and we work hard to ensure that our system architecture and policies comply or enable compliance with all applicable data security and privacy laws. We’re grateful for AWS having invited us to participate in the PTP. It would be impossible to overstate the importance and value of our relationship with them.”

According to Chief Jeff Brinkley of Mason City Police Department in Mason City, Iowa, “Any time we are considering technology that will handle sensitive data, the features and basic functionality are important, but they’re secondary to the importance of data security and our ability to operate in compliance with the FBI’s CJIS Security Policy. Without confidence in the security of the system, it is of no use to us. It has always been obvious to me that the folks at Guardian are dedicated to providing a product that is not only feature-rich, but highly secure and allows law enforcement agencies to comply with the CJIS Security Policy while using it. Guardian’s completion of the AWS PTP is an observable example of their ongoing efforts to maximize system reliability and data security and serves to further bolster our already strong trust in the Guardian Platform in general.”

In addition to data security, Guardian’s application supports the management and containment of possible Criminal History Information (CHRI) from the National Criminal Information Center (NCIC), which is governed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy. Therefore, Guardian has worked with AWS CJIS and solutions architects to ensure that its platform allows agencies to comply with the CJIS policy.

“By building applications using the AWS Nitro System and AWS Key Management Service , Guardian Alliance can enforce CJIS Security Policy required controls by securely encrypting their criminal justice information and limiting all access to the CJI to only those with access to the encryption keys. Agencies maintain complete ownership and control over their critical criminal justice data, and Guardian can easily demonstrate how their customers can comply with the CJIS Security Policy while using the Guardian Platform,” said Gerard Gallant, AWS Senior CJIS Program Manager, AWS.

About Guardian

Guardian Alliance Technologies provides cloud-based software to hundreds of agencies across the United States. The Guardian Background Investigation Software Platform is designed to drastically improve the process of vetting and hiring public safety personnel.

Use of the Guardian Platform enables agencies to complete background investigations far faster, and with more accuracy than ever before thanks to advanced data mining and management tools, time-saving automation for certain tasks, and artificial intelligence used for social media screening. All of this facilitates more expedient, high quality hiring decisions.

Stockton, California — April 7, 2021 — Polco/National Research Center (NRC) and Guardian Alliance Technologies are very pleased to announce the commencement of a unique and meaningful partnership to support the law enforcement needs of communities across the country. Recruiting and retaining qualified law enforcement personnel and delivering local police services that are aligned with community expectations and priorities are essential elements of meeting public safety goals. This partnership will provide accurate and citable data that drives informed decisionmaking about police candidates and community police services.  

“Successful law enforcement agencies hire the most qualified police officers and continuously focus on the development needs of their organization and staff and the public safety needs and priorities of community residents and stakeholders. This important partnership is designed to provide communities easy access to the tools and resources needed to find the best police officer candidates and meet the ever changing public safety demands of the community using values-based performance data,” said Matt Fulton, VP of National Engagement at Polco.

“Providing local government and law enforcement leaders with scientifically backed data-driven solutions are more important today than ever. Twenty first century policing will require technology platforms that are practical, affordable, and measurable. This partnership brings all of these benefits together and allows agencies across the country to start impacting their communities immediately. We couldn’t be more excited about this relationship,” said Ryan Layne, CEO at Guardian Alliance Technologies.

Polco is a premier online community engagement platform that provides the tools local governments need to bring community members and leaders together. With its research arm, National Research Center, Polco delivers reliable public feedback and benchmarking survey data that guides local governments and other public sector organizations to action. Designed by experts to guide community-centered policing, two key benchmark survey tools include The National Police Services Survey ™ (The NPSS™)  and The National Employee Survey-Police Department (The NES-PD). 

The NPSS provides communities an accurate and comprehensive picture of resident sentiment about local police services. The NES-PD is an employee climate assessment designed to help organizations better understand the personal and professional challenges confronting law enforcement personnel. The survey also indicates where organizational changes are needed to improve overall job satisfaction, and the ability to serve and protect in a fair, trusted, and equitable way.  

Guardian Alliance Technologies provides background investigation software designed by law enforcement experts, so organizations can hire with confidence. Their end-to-end background solution provides Law Enforcement Agencies with an easy way to pre-screen, investigate, and approve law enforcement candidates. Guardian’s National Applicant Information Center tracks answers that applicants have given to other agencies across the nation. Guardian’s platform helps reduce applicant processing time and ultimately leads to qualified hires who agencies and communities can trust.

This important partnership comes together at a time when communities are facing daunting challenges. Recruiting and retaining qualified police officers who can successfully meet today’s evolving public safety needs and demands is more important now than ever. In addition, resident safety priorities must be understood and tracked to better align resources and build community trust in police. This partnership offers decisionmakers the best tools, resources, and data to move forward with confidence.   

Together, Polco and Guardian Alliance Technologies bring two high-performing digital innovations and scientific research capabilities to local leaders. This partnership will greatly help organizations successfully deliver police services to community stakeholders with qualified personnel, and in a manner that meets resident needs and expectations.  

To learn more, visit polco.us and guardianalliancetechnologies.com.

Stockton, California — March 16, 2021 — Guardian Alliance Technologies Inc. (Guardian) announced that Charlie Sowell has joined the Guardian Advisory Board. 

Mr. Sowell currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of iWorks Corporation, a leading small business in personnel security and vetting solutions, Agile, DevOps, DevSecOps, data analytics, and cloud solutions for the federal government. He is a well-recognized subject matter expert with frequent media interaction on security clearance and technology protection issues with interviews on Fox News and MSNBC, and articles in the several national print media affiliates. He also represents the Professional Services Council on the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee.

“I’m honored to join such an esteemed group of law enforcement leaders in helping get the word out about Guardian and their innovative technology solutions. I look forward to using my federal government and industry experience to further Guardian’s mission,” said Sowell. 

“iWorks delivers mission critical personnel security technology and professional services to the federal government. I see the same excitement and passion at Guardian for serving the law enforcement community with innovative and affordable technology,” said Sowell. “Guardian’s products are the absolute best in the business, and their commitment to better policing really shows in their solutions.”

Mr. Sowell has an extensive background in executive leadership in the intelligence industry. He was Senior Vice President of National Security and Cyber Solutions for a mid-tier government contractor. He also served in the federal government as the Deputy Assistant Director for Special Security and Program Executive for Security Clearance Reform at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He established and led the DNI’s Security Executive Agent national policy and oversight office. He also worked for 13 years in industry in numerous executive leadership positions supporting the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.

After serving for 27 years in the U.S. Navy, Mr. Sowell retired as a Commander in 2015. His active duty and reserve assignments included Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, Operations Officer, Information Dominance Warfare Officer, NCIS Agent and enlisted Intelligence Specialist. Awards included the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Southwest Asia Service Medal. Mr. Sowell earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Old Dominion University and a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to introduce Charlie Sowell to the Guardian Alliance Advisory Board,” said Guardian CEO Ryan Layne. “Charlie is a well-recognized subject matter expert in personnel security and vetting solutions.  He is an accomplished professional with a proven track record in serving our federal government, including his service in the U.S. Navy, where he retired as a Commander.  There is no doubt that his presence and contribution to Guardian will help to ensure we have the best possible solutions available to our market and stakeholders.”

About Guardian

Guardian Alliance Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiary Guardian Alliance Technologies, Inc. are dedicated to protecting the integrity of the law enforcement profession through innovative solutions, technology, and strategic partnerships aimed at improving the process of vetting and hiring law enforcement professionals.

Stockton, California — March 3, 2021 — Guardian Alliance Technologies Inc. (Guardian) announced that Brandon L. Drew has joined the Guardian Advisory Board, adding further to a deep bench of talented advisors.

Brandon Drew is a technology investor with a deep passion for the entrepreneurial spirit of startup companies. He is a five-time founder or founding employee of startups, with three successful exits. Drew specializes in operational efficiency and building and scaling products that have achieved great market penetration, specifically in the SaaS (software as a service) space.

“Brandon’s success and leadership is incredibly valuable for our company at this pivotal time. We’re seeing immense growth as law enforcement agencies across the country are joining the Guardian Alliance and using our software to streamline their background investigation process,” said Guardian founder Justin Biedinger. “Brandon’s counsel and experience will help us scale our growth and set us up for continued success as the market leader in background investigation technology.”

Working with Guardian is an exciting proposition for Brandon, as he recognizes the transformative potential Guardian’s software holds for the public safety industry at large.

“It is every law enforcement agency’s duty and responsibility to come into the digital age and utilize the tools the private sector has to offer. The automation Guardian provides brings agencies with outdated processes into the 21st Century and allows them to focus on what they do best, which is selflessly protecting the public. This is an uncommon opportunity to see commercial success coincide with doing something fundamentally healthy and helpful for the general public,” said Drew.

After working for and founding several startup companies around the world, Brandon found his calling as a mentor for startup companies. He currently serves as a mentor at 500 Startups, Highway 1, and the Center of Innovation Entrepreneurship at Cal Poly SLO, and is a managing partner at SaaS Growth Ventures, an early growth venture fund with a Private Equity operational approach to scaling revenue and sales for SaaS companies in the US market. In addition to his expertise in technology startups, Drew has experience and success in several other industries including bankruptcy fraud research for the Department of Justice and financial advisory services at Merrill Lynch, where he and his team managed over $450MM of alternative investments and specialized products.

Guardian CEO Ryan Layne added, “We are extremely excited to have Brandon join the Guardian Alliance Advisory Board. His breadth and depth of knowledge and expertise around developing successful SaaS solutions makes him sought after by many companies and we are blessed to have him on board. Brandon is a great addition to the team and his presence will help ensure we deliver best-in-class solutions to our marketplace and stakeholders.”

About Guardian

Guardian Alliance Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiary Guardian Alliance Technologies, Inc. are dedicated to protecting the integrity of the law enforcement profession through innovative solutions, technology, and strategic partnerships aimed at improving the process of vetting and hiring law enforcement professionals.

Stockton, California – December 18, 2020 – Guardian Alliance Technologies (Guardian) announced today the addition of Dr. Darrin Porcher to its Advisory Board, building upon its strong leadership in the law enforcement technology industry.

Dr. Porcher is a criminal justice expert witness and consultant. He earned his doctoral degree from Fordham University, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Management from St. Joseph’s College, and a Masters of Public Administration from Marist College. Dr. Porcher retired from the New York City Police Department as a Lieutenant after 20 years of service. He also served as an Officer in the United States Army Reserve. 

Ryan Layne, CEO of Guardian, stated, “We are thrilled to have Dr. Porcher join our board of advisors. In addition to his wealth of experience, he is a leader in sparking important conversations about policing across our country. Dr. Porcher brings a perspective we’ve been missing and his contributions will strengthen everything we do. We couldn’t be happier to have his advice and counsel.”

Dr. Porcher also teaches Criminal Justice at Pace University and frequently appears on national television as an expert contributor to criminal justice discussions on Fox, CourtTV, and other media outlets. 

“The tapestry of talent that’s been assembled by Guardian is head-and-shoulders above the competition. I’m excited to bring my experience as a police practitioner coupled with a criminal justice educator and infuse that energy into the dynamic of Guardian’s platform,” said Porcher.

Dr. Porcher recognizes Guardian Alliance Technology’s software as a necessary resource for law enforcement agencies across the nation. “Providing greater resources to police departments is necessary in the climate of police reform. The advent of technology is an essential component moving forward in the twenty-first century. It’s necessary for police departments to embrace technology to ensure qualitative policing for Americans,” said Porcher.

Justin Biedinger, President and Founder of Guardian added, “Dr. Porcher knows exactly what needs to be done in police reform and his expertise will help our company be even more successful. He’s a veteran, a longtime police officer, and has become an influential leader in criminal justice. We are excited to have him on our team as we move Guardian forward as the market leader in background investigation technology solutions.”

About Guardian

Guardian Alliance Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiary Guardian Alliance Technologies, Inc. are dedicated to protecting the integrity of the law enforcement profession through innovative solutions, technology, and strategic partnerships aimed at improving the process of vetting and hiring law enforcement professionals.

Stockton, California – October 27, 2020 – Guardian Alliance Technologies (Guardian) announced today that the company has been unanimously approved to join the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (“IADLEST”) Partner Advisory Committee (“IPAC”).  

“We’re very excited to be joining the IPAC ,” said Ryan Layne, Guardian’s CEO.  “Of the many areas of common interest, none is more prominent than cultivating and supporting communication and sharing of information among and between federal, state and local agencies as it relates to the vetting of new public safety personnel and we look forward to collaborating with other IPAC member companies to further activity and efficiency in this area.”

The IPAC supports the IADLEST mission by providing research and proven best practices for high quality training and education. IPAC seeks to advance the Public Safety profession with a vision of outcomes-based police training and standards.   Learn more here. 

“IADLEST continues to grow and expand its support for law enforcement,” said Mike Becar, IADLEST Executive Director.  “Guardian Alliance Technologies brings a unique talent to our IPAC, thereby providing additional resources to the field and assisting with the development of high quality training and standards.” 

About Guardian Alliance Technologies

Guardian Alliance Technologies, Inc. is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the law enforcement profession through innovative solutions, technology, and strategic partnerships aimed at improving the process of vetting and hiring law enforcement professionals.

In addition to proprietary technology solutions, Guardian is proud to be regularly adding other, like minded companies and individuals, such as EPIC Recruiting, to the Guardian Alliance, which is a consortium of community members, business leaders, law enforcement professionals, risk mitigation specialists, public safety officials, academia, NGOs, government officials, as well as like-minded industry partners that are committed to positively impacting their communities, cities and states by helping to support and advance the law enforcement profession.

For more information, please visit: www.guardianalliancetechnologies.com 

About IADLEST

IADLEST is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming policing by promoting excellence in training and professional standards.  IADLEST membership consists of key leaders in law enforcement training, including the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Directors of every state in the U.S., as well as state and local training academy directors. With these two influential groups, IADLEST directly impacts 664 basic law enforcement training academies and approximately 900,000 police and correctional officers in the country.  Because IADLEST believes in learning from, and sharing experiences with, other countries, the organization is proud to have international members and thus have a worldwide perspective and dialogue regarding public safety standards and training.  Learn more here.

Stockton, California – October 13, 2020 – Guardian Alliance Technologies (Guardian) announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with EPIC Recruiting, the leading law enforcement recruiting agency in the country.  Together, EPIC and Guardian have integrated their service offerings to offer Law Enforcement Agencies an end-to-end solution that provides recruiting services in addition to technology to streamline and improve their background investigation process.

“Recruiting has never been more challenging for law enforcement agencies than it is right now,” said Ryan Layne, Guardian’s CEO.  “Most law enforcement agencies don’t have the in-house resources to provide the kind of expert recruiting services required to attract the next generation of law enforcement officers.  Meanwhile, communities across the country expect more from their law enforcement leadership than ever before and agencies must respond accordingly if they are going to ensure public trust.  Our partnership with EPIC reflects our ongoing commitment to providing innovative solutions, technology, and strategic partnerships to help law enforcement agencies meet this new public mandate.”

EPIC Recruiting is the leading law enforcement recruiting agency in the nation.  EPIC helps law enforcement agencies generate qualified applicants through a broad array of services, including videos, photography, online campaigns, and other creative initiatives.  The EPIC-Guardian partnership enables EPIC to add integrated applicant screening and vetting services to it’s offering, creating a true, end to end solution that culminates with a fully vetted candidate, eligible for employment.

“We believe that traditional methods used for recruiting law enforcement professionals are outdated and obsolete,” says Sam Blonder, EPIC CEO.  “EPIC provides market leading, highly effective recruiting solutions that are proven and measurable, which enables agencies to contain costs rather than just throw money at recruiting efforts with fingers crossed.  We’re very excited to offer this one-of-a-kind, end to end solution.”

About Guardian Alliance Technologies

Guardian Alliance Technologies, Inc. is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the law enforcement profession through innovative solutions, technology, and strategic partnerships aimed at improving the process of vetting and hiring law enforcement professionals.

In addition to proprietary technology solutions, Guardian is proud to be regularly adding other, like minded companies and individuals, such as EPIC, to the Guardian Alliance, which is a consortium of community members, business leaders, law enforcement professionals, risk mitigation specialists, public safety officials, academia, NGOs, government officials, as well as like-minded industry partners that are committed to positively impacting their communities, cities and states by helping to support and advance the law enforcement profession.

For more information, please visit: Guardian/EPIC Recruiting and Vetting Solution

About EPIC

Epic Recruiting is the leading law enforcement recruiting agency in the nation. No other agency even comes close to matching the breadth of services and solutions Epic offers under a single roof. We help your department generate qualified applicants to apply on your recruiting website using videos, photography, online campaigns, and other creative initiatives. 

For more information on EPIC, please visit:  EPIC Recruiting