Key Results
Up to 4x faster investigations
Incidents that previously took 4–5 hours to investigate can now be reviewed in about an hour.0 break-ins since deploying AI-powered deterrence
After experiencing break-ins as often as once a month at a radio communications building, DoIT has had no break-ins since deploying Verkada AI-powered deterrence, which uses camera-based perimeter triggers and horn speaker warnings to help deter unauthorized activity.62 radio tower sites protected statewide
DoIT uses Verkada to improve visibility across remote radio sites that support public safety communications statewide.
The New Mexico Department of Information Technology (DoIT) serves as the enterprise technology partner for state agencies, helping deliver secure, reliable technology infrastructure that supports public services across New Mexico. That mission extends beyond office buildings and data centers. Across the state, DoIT helps protect critical infrastructure that supports public safety communications, including radio tower sites used by State Police, Game and Fish, the Department of Transportation, and other partners that rely on radio communications in the field.
DoIT manages two data centers, multiple IT communications rooms, and 62 radio tower sites, many of which are located in remote areas. At those sites, unauthorized access, vandalism, copper theft, severe weather, wildlife, and unexpected visitors can all create operational risk.
For John Padilla, Director of Enterprise Services at the New Mexico Department of Information Technology, the priority is clear: protect the infrastructure that state agencies and public safety teams depend on every day.
“Across our data centers and public safety radio towers, we’re protecting critical infrastructure that agencies rely on every day,” says Padilla. “These systems are essential for public safety officials in the field, and we need to make sure they’re well protected.”
Moving from siloed systems to real-time visibility
Before Verkada, DoIT relied on separate systems for video surveillance and access control. The systems were aging, difficult to manage, and operated independently from one another.
If an incident occurred, the process was manual. Teams had to pull access control logs from one system, locate footage in another, and then match timestamps across both.
“Before Verkada, investigating an incident meant piecing together activity across two separate systems,” says Annette Curley, Facilities IT Technical Manager at the New Mexico Department of Information Technology. “We had to pull access logs in one place, save video from another, and manually match everything up.”
That made even straightforward investigations time-consuming. For example, if someone broke into a vehicle or a police officer requested footage from a parking lot, the team had to search across multiple cameras and systems to understand what happened.
According to Curley, an investigation that once took four to five hours can now be completed in about an hour with Verkada. Because door events are paired with associated camera footage, the team can more quickly review access activity, investigate issues like tailgating, and understand what happened without manually matching logs to video.
“Door events and camera footage are tied together,” Curley says. “So if we’re looking into something like tailgating or an unusual entry event, it’s much faster to see what happened and get to the information we need.”
Securing remote radio sites across New Mexico
The radio tower environment presents a different challenge from a traditional office or data center. Many sites are remote and unmanned, yet they contain valuable equipment and copper cabling that can attract theft or vandalism.
“Our radio sites are remote, but they house critical equipment,” says Curley. “Even the copper cabling that runs up the towers can make them a target, so having visibility into those sites is really important.”
With Verkada cameras, access control, video intercoms, horn speakers, and AI-powered alerts, DoIT can monitor activity at these sites remotely and respond more quickly when something happens.
When authorized personnel or partners arrive at a remote site, they can use an intercom to contact the team. Staff can verify who is there through video, unlock the door remotely through access control, and maintain visibility through cameras. That remote workflow is especially important because DoIT works with multiple partners and vendors at radio sites, including federal agencies, broadcast partners, and field technicians.
In the past, access requests could route to a security desk when no one was physically present. Today, teams can respond from a tablet or mobile device.
The system also helps DoIT understand what is happening before dispatching someone to a site. From the Verkada Command mobile app, radio technicians and on-call staff can check whether there is snow, whether someone is onsite, or whether conditions look safe before heading out.
“Using the mobile app, anyone on call can quickly check who’s onsite and what’s happening,” Curley says. “The mobile access is really helpful, and the notifications and alerts make it much easier to stay on top of activity.”
Deterring break-ins before they happen with AI-powered deterrence
At one Albuquerque radio communications building, DoIT had been dealing with frequent break-ins — at one point, as often as once a month. Since deploying Verkada AI-powered deterrence — using camera-based perimeter triggers and horn speaker warnings — the site has had zero break-ins.
When someone enters the perimeter, Verkada can trigger an audio warning notifying the person that they are not authorized to be onsite and that police may be called. For DoIT, that has helped shift the team from reacting after a break-in to deterring unwanted activity before it escalates.
“When someone crosses the perimeter, Verkada can automatically warn them that they’re not authorized to be onsite and that police may be called,” says Curley. “Since we put that in place, we haven’t had anyone break in.”
DoIT is also using AI-powered alerts to strengthen situational awareness across remote sites. At radio tower locations, animal detection alerts can help notify the team when wildlife is nearby — including bears near mountain sites — so technicians have better context before arriving onsite.
AI-powered activity detection alerts can also help teams identify specific events of interest, such as someone climbing over a fence, gate, or wall, without requiring staff to manually monitor every camera feed. For remote, unmanned infrastructure, that kind of intelligence helps DoIT focus attention on the activity that matters most.
Protecting data centers and critical IT spaces
While the radio tower sites are a core part of the story, Verkada also supports DoIT’s broader physical security strategy across data centers, IT rooms, and office environments.
At DoIT’s data center locations, the team uses access control, cameras, biometric authentication for dual-authentication workflows, and air quality monitoring for temperature and humidity. The team has also deployed water leak detection under humidifiers to help protect sensitive infrastructure.
For a government technology agency responsible for secure data center and network environments, these capabilities help provide more complete visibility across critical spaces. Access events can be paired with video context, environmental changes can trigger alerts, and teams can manage devices from a centralized platform rather than relying on fragmented systems.
DoIT also uses Verkada Guest at the John F. Simms building and plans to expand visitor management to additional data center locations. Digitizing the guest experience has helped staff manage visitors more easily and review activity with greater context.
A platform that supports statewide operations
For DoIT, Verkada’s value comes from the combination of unified visibility, remote access, and ease of use.
“Having access control and video security together in one platform has been really beneficial,” says Curley. “We can see what’s happening in real time, connect door activity with video, and respond much more quickly.”
That unified approach matters when protecting infrastructure distributed across an entire state. Security guards, radio technicians, managers, and on-call staff can all be given the visibility they need based on their roles. Teams can receive notifications when someone is onsite, review live or historical footage, and coordinate a response without always needing to dispatch personnel first.
The impact is both measurable and practical. Investigations that once required hours of searching and matching logs can now be completed in a fraction of the time, while remote teams can verify activity at a mountaintop radio tower, data center, or government facility without sending someone onsite. That visibility is especially important at radio sites that support public safety communications across the state.
“Verkada’s integrated AI capabilities have been a strong fit for our statewide operations,” says Padilla. “They help us protect critical infrastructure more proactively and better support the services agencies rely on every day.”
Looking ahead
As DoIT continues to modernize physical security, Verkada gives the agency a scalable foundation for protecting critical infrastructure across New Mexico. From data centers and IT communications rooms to remote radio towers that support public safety communications, DoIT can manage access, monitor activity, deter unwanted behavior, investigate incidents, and respond to potential threats from a single platform.
For a statewide agency responsible for technology infrastructure that other agencies depend on, the ability to see, verify, and act quickly is essential. With Verkada, DoIT is strengthening the visibility, control, and proactive protection behind the critical infrastructure that helps keep New Mexico connected.