All-star Lineup at Contemporary Issues and Ethics Conference

Contemporary Issues and Ethics Conference

August 6-8, 2014

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, August 6-8, 2014 for our Annual Contemporary Issues and Ethics Conference. This year we have an all-star lineup of police practitioners and academics discussing a wide range of topics.

The team at ILEA likes to talk about the “deep thinkers” that populate the police executive and administrative ranks in north Texas. This is a conference that will keep that reputation alive and well! The purpose of this annual event is to promote enhanced learning and understanding about issues important to the policing community. While this year’s educational sessions appear somewhat eclectic, there is a great mix of leadership issues and issues with ethical nuances to provoke thought and discussion.

We open the conference with DEA Chief of Operations, Mr. James Capra. What issues are emerging in our nation regarding drug enforcement? How can the DEA and our local agencies better cooperate as new laws and policies are enacted that attempt to guide and direct police operations in this area? James Capra, the executive officer of the DEA, will provide insight into these and other issues.

Our colleagues in Sanford, Florida experience intense scrutiny during the Trayvon Martin/ George Zimmerman incident. That type of scrutiny has the potential to adversely affect police organizations. How did Sanford PD react in a chaotic setting? How do police commanders lead during such incidents.  Sanford (FL) Assistant Chief Darren Scott, in his presentation Crisis Leadership: Managing through Turmoil (The Aftermath of the Trayvon Martin/ George Zimmerman Incident) provides his insights in this “lessons learned” presentation.

The 2014 text, Law Enforcement Ethics Classic and Contemporary Issues (Fitch, B. Ed.) is one of the newest texts on the issues that keep on giving; police ethics. Three contributors to that text join us for this year’s conference: James Ruffin of McKinney, Texas will present on Law Enforcement Interrogation: An Ethical Perspective; Ana Gamez, Ph.D., of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will present on Psychological Evaluations of Law Enforcement Applicants: The Search for Ethical Officers; and Aaron Conley, Ph.D., of Regis University near Denver will present on Ethics, Enforcement and the Prospect of Professionalism.

What does “chivalry” have to do with modern policing? Is there a connection? Our colleague and friend, retired Indiana State Police Superintendent, Paul Whitesell, Ph.D. is going to make that connection in a thought provoking presentation that should have us examining our values. His presentation is entitled Chivalry – its Application to Modern Policing.

With the renewed discussions about procedural justice and police legitimacy working their way through the police executive circles, three presenters hit on topics that have been (and perhaps remain to be) problematic for police organizations. Dr. Tom Meloni, Assistant Chief (ret.) in Wheaton, Illinois reminds us of the importance of Building Community Trust. With the rash of mass shootings in our nation, many police executives are continuing to look at the mental health issues of their respective communities that may be contributing to these homicides. Charlottesville (VA) Police Chief Tim Longo, J.D., brings his thoughts and ideas to the conference with a presentation on Law Enforcement and the Mentally Ill. The use of tasers created a stir for a portion of 2013 in north Texas. Howard Williams, Ph.D., of the San Marcos Police Department, will help attendees examine Taser Related Deaths.

We all know stress as a regular part of the policing lifestyle. This is a topic that is always under examination and rightfully so. Our research colleague, John Violanti, Ph.D., State University of New York, Buffalo, continues our examination Police Work Absence: An Analysis of Stress and Resiliency, based on his most recent research on this topic.

There you have it! A great conference designed to promote your thought and discussion on a wide variety of issues critical to our profession.