Supporting those who serve: Q&A with Keith Redlin on balancing innovation with public safety service

Keith Redlin is the director/head of public sector and safety for Samsung Electronics of America. However, Redlin has another side to his life, one that he says has made him both a better person and a better director. Redlin is a reserve deputy for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the largest sheriff’s agency in Michigan. Redlin is also a member of the Michigan Police Unity Team, a group of incredibly dedicated bike riders and support personnel who ride to honor fallen officers and raise money for their families. Each year, they ride the entire coast of Lake Michigan — a distance of almost 400 miles — in four days.

In this Q&A, we sat down with Redlin to explore his journey and discover how he navigated his career path to reach his current position.

Q: What inspired you to become a reserve deputy, and when did you start?

KR: As a young teen, I was in a law enforcement explorer program and became the leader of the group. It was inspiring to see what law enforcement was really like. My childhood hero was Batman. He did a lot of good and had a lot of tools on his belt. I knew I could never be Batman, but the closest thing to it was to put on a uniform and become a police officer. Another factor was my foster mom, who was a lieutenant in a correctional agency. She really inspired me.

Q: So, how did you end up in the tech field?

KR: I was in my mid-20s and found I could earn good money by selling technology. During this time, I stepped away from law enforcement, but 9/11 changed me. I knew I wanted to serve. It took a few years to figure it out, but I went through a police academy in 2007, graduated with honors, and became a reserve with the Village of Oxford [Michigan] while still working full-time in the tech field.

Q: What’s been your most memorable incident or moment?

KR: The Oxford High School shooting in 2021. Four kids died, and several were injured. I had walked those school grounds countless times on midnights to become familiar with the layout, and one day, the call came. It totally changed me. Being part of that team was awesome, and my proudest moment was reuniting those kids with their parents. I’m also a spiritual person, and that helped me cope with the tragedy. God put the right people in place to provide the help that was needed. My work that day was noticed by a captain at Oakland County Sheriff, and he recruited me. Now I work with them, handling a lot of tech-related responsibilities but still working in the field. I love it.

Q: Your role at Samsung is demanding. How do you balance that with your work as a reserve deputy?

KR: I have to give a lot of credit to my wife and family. They’ve been incredibly supportive, and that’s important. When it comes to work, Samsung does come first, and I position the LE portion of my life to make everything fit. Training [for law enforcement] demands a lot of time. Reserves have to meet the same qualifications as full-time deputies and sometimes I’m doing 20 hours a month in training. I’ve been through a lot of training.

Q: What’s been the most interesting training that you’ve been through?

KR: My favorite has to be the art of de-escalation. I love to be able to talk to people. It’s challenging sometimes, but I think I’ve become good at it. Now I’m a Crisis Intervention Officer for the sheriff’s office.

Q: Your bike rides to support the families of fallen officers are truly commendable. Can you share a particularly memorable experience?

KR: I’ll share two. My first time riding in 2018, I don’t really know how it happened, but I was looking over a list of officers that no one had ever ridden for. I found Doug Young, Denver PD, read his story, and then reached out to his wife for permission to ride for him. She cried and told me that she and her daughter would meet me in DC (the final destination for that ride). It just felt like I was doing something really awesome for that family. And this year [2024] was super special. I rode for Deputy Brad Reckling from our agency. [Deputy Reckling was killed in an ambush shooting on June 22, 2024.] I knew Brad and had worked with him. That really put the wind on my back during the ride. I got to speak with his wife, and she was overwhelmed by the goodwill shown to their family.

Q: You’re clearly passionate about these rides. Could you talk about what this has meant to you personally?

KR: One of the things about being a reserve is I can do different things. Now I’m part of the [department’s] mountain bike team. Biking and police work let me connect with people. It’s so cool. It’s a mental sport, gets into my head. I’m not a racer, but I try to beat my best. I think that biking saved my life — I was overweight and had poor eating habits. When I started to train for the Unity Tour in 2018, I lost 45 pounds and was able to get off my blood pressure medication. I love the camaraderie. You know why you’re riding, and you connect with officers from around the country, even around the world. Rank doesn’t matter; you’re all there for the ride. We have a saying, “There’s no rank in the ride.” We’re all equal.

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Q: Do you have advice for other technology execs who handle public safety to help them understand their customers?

KR: The biggest thing would be to stand by your product and support your customers. Many agencies don’t have the internal resources to overcome tech challenges. Police work is 24/7, and it’s important that they get support when it’s needed. And the voice of the customer is so important — we do it well at Samsung. Our feature enhancement requests (FERs) are regularly sent to Korea. I think there were 30 FERs leading up to the launch of the Galaxy XCover6 Pro, and there are many features on that phone as a result.

Q: Can you expound on customer engagement and how it benefits both public safety personnel and Samsung?

KR: I lead Samsung’s Public Sector team, so every solution and customer story has been part of my journey. I have worked tirelessly with our route-to-market channel partners: Verizon, AT&T FirstNet, T-Mobile. But my passion has been working with our customers directly to take their VOC [voice of customer] back so our team can build a solution that will help them with their mission.

Passion for public safety meets technological proficiency

Keith Redlin’s journey showcases a unique blend of leadership, service, and dedication, both in his professional role at Samsung and his selfless commitment to public service. His passion for public safety, paired with his expertise in technology, allows him to bridge the gap between innovation and real-world impact. Redlin not only supports customers but also exemplifies the values of service and responsibility.

Learn more about Samsung’s commitment to public safety agencies and discover the versatile solutions of Samsung public safety technology.