APBnet revolutionized the. way police departments interacted with each other
Gordon McNeill, FBI,
Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit

Founded to
Protect Children

Critical Reach was founded in 1995 in the aftermath of the brutal abduction and murder of Polly Klaas in Petaluma, CA. We developed technology that enabled any officer, in minutes, to build and electronically distribute color photo bulletins to law enforcement and community recipients. A response that previously took many days was reduced to minutes, saving lives.

Our Next Solution: Safer Schools​

Launched by
Philanthropic Support

Founding grants from the David & Lucile Packard Foundation and partnerships with Hewlett-Packard and AT&T enabled strong proof-of-concept. We deployed the bulletin generation and sharing technology to dozens of Bay Area police agencies at no cost. Expanded daily use across the full spectrum of criminal cases enhanced the solution’s value and rapid adoption. Today, modest annual support fees enable Critical Reach to sustain and enhance APBnet™ as an essential community safety asset nationwide. Our nonprofit-led model delivers vital technology to law enforcement, making an otherwise unachievable solution possible.
the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, AT&T, and hp
Our Next Solution: Safer Schools​

Our Next Solution:
Safer Schools

Critical Reach is now poised to use our expertise to dramatically reduce law enforcement response times in a crisis. Today’s pressing concern for parents, kids, and teachers is school safety. We can again save innocent lives, build a more secure learning environment for our children, and deliver another otherwise unachievable solution. 

Technical Depth, Experience, and Issue Expertise

Our Leadership Team

Dr. Jennifer Dawson, Director​ of Critical Reach

Dr. Jennifer Dawson, Director

After earning a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, Jennifer spent 15 years engineering complex systems, including spacecraft and self-driving vehicles. She has served in senior technical leadership roles in systems engineering, product assurance, and autonomous system safety for Maxar Technologies, Toyota Research Institute, and Nuro. Jennifer leads Critical Reach’s product development and deployment for technology solutions focused on protecting children from gun violence.

Todd Bower, Co-Founder, Executive Director

After a BS in Economics from Claremont McKenna College, a stint with IBM, and an entrepreneurial executive career in the home furnishings industry, Todd joined five technical colleagues to co-found Critical Reach. He has served as Executive Director since its inception. Todd helped develop the organization’s innovative public/private partnership and has ensured its long-term stability as a trusted partner to law enforcement.

John Myers, Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer

After graduating on the Engineering Dean’s List at Ohio State University, John produced multiple successful software products for Standard Oil, Computer Sciences, IBM, and his own software company. He came out of semi-retirement to co-found Critical Reach and lead the development of the successful APBnet product in use today.

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