Chief April Baxter is a 28-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol (CHP), having served 23 years in CHP field operations in Los Angeles and Ventura counties as officer, sergeant, lieutenant and captain.
In 2020, Baxter was assigned as an assistant chief at CHP Headquarters in Sacramento, in the Information Management Division (IMD). Her responsibilities included oversight of the Telecommunications Section, the Communications Centers Support Section and the Support Services Section. Among the responsibilities of these sections are telephone and radio operations, 911 call taking and dispatching, and traffic collision data collection and analysis.
While serving in IMD, Chief Baxter played an integral role in the CHP radio console replacement (InterTalk), the implementation of the new EV20 mobile radio platform, the transition to wireless mobile video/audio recording system (Safe Fleet), and the launch of the record management system (Mark43).
Before her appointment to the CIO role, Baxter was most recently assigned as a field operations assistant chief in CHP Valley Division, overseeing multiple CHP area offices including locations in Placer, Nevada, Sutter and Sacramento counties. Baxter said she is excited to return to IMD as CIO and once again “work with its wonderful IT professionals.”
She said she looks forward to forming partnerships with staff, CIOs, stakeholders and vendors to support the mission of the CHP – “to provide the highest level of safety, service and security to the people of California.”
Baxter answered some questions from Industry Insider — California about her new role and her outlook as the incoming CIO. This transcript has been only lightly edited for brevity and style.
Industry Insider: What is your overall feeling toward IT? Do you enjoy it and/or work with it in your off-hours? Are you a techie?
April Baxter: I would say I am an enthusiastic user and an early adopter of technology. I am amazed to see the changes in technology in law enforcement that are helping to save lives, as well as the changes in technology in general to make life more enjoyable. Whether it be smart home technologies to help preserve energy to cameras on vehicles that are helping us solve crimes on the freeway, technology plays such an important role in all our lives. As an avid quilter, the new technology I use in my sewing machine alone would have been unimaginable just 10 years ago. While I wouldn’t call myself a “techie,” I am surrounded by incredible team members which are, most definitely, “techies.” Input from them will be integral in helping me make informed decisions and develop strategies to improve safety, efficiency and transparency in all we do at the CHP.
Industry Insider: You’ve been in the Information Management Division for a few years. Coming into the CIO role, what are your top two or three priorities, looking ahead?
Baxter: The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of safety, service and security. Among my priorities as the CIO is to help develop goals and strategies that will enhance our ability to meet CHP strategic goals through technology. Examples would be improving our radio communications between our communications centers and our field officers to improve safety, response times and service. I also want to enhance how we collect and use data to improve our internal operations and provide more data to the public, other agencies and organizations who use our data to improve their services. It is also a priority of mine to continue to communicate and collaborate with the other CIOs within the California State Transportation Agency to leverage our knowledge and resources to improve services and accessibility to the public.
Industry Insider: How would you like vendors to contact you (phone, email, LinkedIn?), and what advice would you give them before they do so?
Baxter: Calling the main line for IMD, at (916) 843-4000, is the best way for vendors to reach out to my IMD team. I can be reached by email at ABaxter@chp.ca.gov. There is a process in place for doing business with state agencies. Vendors can find information about how IT projects are approved and what the procurement is by visiting the Department of General Services (DGS) or the Department of Technology’s web pages. Visiting the DGS page “Knowing How to do Business with the State of California” is extremely beneficial for any business or vendor and will answer most general questions.
Industry Insider: Anything you’d like to share regarding your off-hours – hobbies, favorite pastimes, family?
Baxter: I have been married to my wonderful husband, Kevin, for 27 years, and we have two grown children. In our off time we enjoy camping and biking. My hobbies include playing golf, spending time with family and friends, and quilting.
