Our Mission
Safer Communities for our Children
For more than 30 years, Critical Reach has equipped law enforcement with the technology they need to protect communities and save lives.
Our Mission
Critical Reach, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to making communities safer through technology. We believe that every law enforcement agency — regardless of size or budget — deserves access to the tools needed to protect their community.
Our flagship platform, APBnet™, connects agencies across the nation with real-time intelligence sharing, ensuring that a missing child alert in one jurisdiction reaches officers in neighboring counties within seconds — not hours or days.
“You need to get APBnet™!! It is an amazing tool to share information on criminal investigations.”
APBnet™ User
Our History
From a tragedy that shook the nation to a platform that serves thousands of agencies today.
1995
Critical Reach founded after the abduction and murder of Polly Klaas
1996
APBnet™ launched at 50 law enforcement agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area
2000s
APBnet™ expanded to serve agencies nationwide
2010s
Grew to 1,500+ agencies with SMS integration and photo search capabilities
2023
Critical Reach expands its mission to address gun violence prevention
2025
APB Direct Connect™ and Learn Secure launch to support community-wide crisis readiness
APBnet™ upgrade improves backend data infrastructure
2026
APBnet™ and APB Direct Connect™ combined web application launches
Leadership
Dr. Jennifer Dawson
Executive Director
Stanford doctorate with expertise in autonomous systems. Leading Critical Reach's technology strategy and the APBnet™ modernization.
Neil Morris
Chief Technology Officer
Brings decades of experience securing classified data and its AWS infrastructure for U.S. government customers to APBnet's technology strategy.
Todd Bower
Co-Founder
25+ years leading the organization from its founding after the Polly Klaas tragedy to serving 1,500+ agencies nationwide.
Steven Hall
Project Manager
Project Manager focused on mission-critical people operations. Fosters partnerships between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
Join the APBnet™ Community
Whether you're a law enforcement agency, school, or community organization — we're here to help keep your community safe.