2018 IACP Conference in Orlando, Florida

A guest blog by Tracy Stille, LMCIT Loss Control Field Consultant

I recently attended the 2018 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference in Orlando, Florida, which is considered the largest and most important law enforcement event of the year. More than 17,000 public safety professionals gathered this year to learn new techniques, advance their knowledge and careers, and equip their police departments for ongoing success.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Leadership’s Evolution,” as the IACP was celebrating 125 years of progress since their first conference in 1893 in Chicago, Illinois. Law enforcement technology topics are always popular and included virtual training, facial recognition, property & evidence management, police drones, and body-worn cameras. This year’s conference also included many educational topics on “developing the leaders of tomorrow” and various police reform initiatives.

The IACP Conference also offered many education and training opportunities to help law enforcement agencies address the emerging issues of hiring & recruitment, increased police liability, use of force, social media, policy development, critical stress management, and community-police relations.

The most important take-away for me after attending this conference was the importance of recognizing the need for change in policing and taking immediate action. Over the past few years, law enforcement agencies and their officers have been closely scrutinized by the public, the media, and by the policing profession itself. These reviews and the 2015 President’s Task Force Report on 21st Century Policing have resulted in a number of reform initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels which have greatly affected the policing profession and their communities.

Upcoming IACP Conferences
I would encourage all leaders and aspiring leaders in law enforcement to attend this training conference and bring new policing ideas back to your law enforcement agencies, whether those ideas involve technology upgrades, mental health response, officer fitness & wellness, combating the dark net, or ways to deal with the rising opioid epidemic.

The conference provides the opportunity to learn global best practices; to access new strategies, techniques, and resources for successfully navigating the evolving policing environment, and also showcases the latest in law enforcement products and services.

Below is a list of the upcoming IACP Conferences:

IACP 2019 – Chicago, Illinois

IACP 2020 – New Orleans, Louisiana

IACP 2021 – Atlanta, Georgia

IACP 2022 – Dallas, Texas

You may contact me at tstille@lmc.org with any questions about this conference or give me a phone call at (651) 215-4051.

Remember: Responder Safety = Public Safety

Up Next: “Discussion of the “21 Foot Rule”

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful.

Tracy