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Conference Article

Starting from the group up, we’ve revamped the way we deliver new content at Blue Line EXPO. With the introduction of Blue LIne Conference we went out to you, the people in uniform, and asked you not only what type of sessions you wanted to take, but also what you wanted to LEAD. The results below are a wide array of subjects relevant to today’s copy, lead by today’s cop, and expands upon the fabulous editorial already found in BLue Line Magazine.

Have a look below; you just might find the training you’ve been needing.

Automotive Investigations
It is well known among the police community that approximately 40 percent of the vehicles obtained by theft are never recovered, indicating that the thefts are linked to organized crime and terrorist groups with the intent of reselling the vehicle as a whole or dismantled and sold in parts. This session is presented by OMVIC-the regulator of the care trade in Ontario and provider of the Specialized Vehicle Theft Investigative Techniques course at the Canadian Police College. This session will introduce the front line office to basic auto theft investigation techniques and showcase OMVIC as an agency that can assist police with any cases involving car dealers.

Contraband Tobacco and Its Impact on Organized Crime
Do you know how contraband tobacco impacts organized crime? Contraband tobacco is a serious problem all over Canada and is particularly bad in Ontario where an estimated 1-in-3 cigarettes purchased over the last year were illegal. Gary Grant, a 39-year veteran of the Toronto Police and Spokesperson of the National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco will speak on the connections between the contraband trade and organized crime. Gary will speak on what governments at the municipal, provincial and federal levels have committed to do to combat the illegal cigarette problem.

How to Combat Organized Retail Crime
Participants will be provided an operation overview of Organized Retail Crime and its impact on law enforcement, security/loss prevention and retailers. Participants will be introduced to the retailcop website to assist in intelligence-led policing and combating ORC. Organized Retail Crime is the fastest growing method for criminal organizations to generate revenue to further other illicit activities and the violence is only increasing.

Crime Prevention Through Social Development
Near the end of 2012, a new Chief was sworn in for the Winnipeg Police Service. One of its main priorities was to advance Crime Prevention Through Social Development. CPTSD may be understood from a philosophical point of view, but police work is generally practical in nature and applying this approach can be difficult to do without some explanation and examples from a police perspective. After three years, the WPS has some suggestions on how CPTSD can be applied in our daily duties and are willing to share some of their successes, frustrations, and lessons learned. This includes dealing with bureaucracy, internal and external organizations, and critics.

Case Law Updates for Frontline Officers
We provide up to date, realistic, continuing legal education to frontline officers from the perspective of criminal lawyers (one of whom is a former police officer) who frequently represents police officers on criminal and Police Services Act charges, complaints resolutions, and SIU investigations. Our goal is to use our unique combination of experiences to help officers understand what the courts expect from them and how they can do better in their day to day work.

PTSD and Policing
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a matter of increasing concern to police services. Given the high risks associated with police work, it is unsurprising that cases of PTSD will arise in police workplaces. The challenge for police services is to manage PTSD cases lawfully, honouring the obligations placed on services under, amongst other things, police legislation and human rights codes. This presentation will explore the interplay between police discipline in PTSD cases and the employer’s duty to accommodate employees who suffer from this condition, and will propose a number of best practices for managing PTSD cases in police workplaces.

Community Policing and Technology
Constable Blake Chersinoff will be presenting the IPatrol+ App, a mobile app available for free on the App Store. iPatrol+ is designed to assist and record the activities of community policing volunteers while on patrol. IPatrol+ records routes, activities and community interactions. Volunteers can document the location and incidences of graffiti, abandoned autos, drug and alcohol use, erratic and dangerous driving, illegal dumping and more. At the end of the patrol, these records are then emailed to the constable in charge. This presentation will briefly discuss how the app was created and provide a case study highlighting the features of the app and how community policing groups will benefit from its use.

Ethics: The Impact on Leadership in Policing
This session will explore the connection between individual ethics in the framework of the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on leadership roles in the organization. We will examine the ethical dilemmas of leadership, the foundations and context of moral choice, the moral implication of decision-making within public organizations and the impact upon staff morale. An emphasis will be made on critical thinking, normative decision-making and the role of values in public policy and management.

Basic Note-taking for Law Enforcement
Because of the fast-paced environment of law enforcement, memory is most times not good enough to recreate a scenario and bring the incident into the courtroom. Notes continue to come under scrutiny in legal processes both criminally and civilly. This presentation will explore both the shortfalls and successes of officers notes and create some scenarios that will engage the learners with some ‘food for thought’ with respect to recording events.

Police Judo and the Ethical Use of Force
Police Judo promotes a much needed hands-on approach to dealing with resistive and combative people. This multi-media presentation will be delivered by two seasoned lecturers and cofounders of Police Judo and the Odd Squad who have extensive policing and martial arts training experience. Issues regarding the ethical applications of effective and practical uses of force will be addressed. Tried and true methods of physically taking people into custody will be shown and discussed. Anyone interested in arrest and control tactics by law enforcement will find this course beneficial.

Connecting the Dots: Deploying a Video Library System on a Network
As digital data becomes an increasing part of the policing world, it’s important to learn how to manage the flow of data so that it becomes a valued asset. Learn the various approaches for deploying a network-based media library system that collects audio, video, and metadata from numerous sources such as: surveillance systems, interview/interrogation systems, body cameras, police care cameras, GPS data, ticketing systems, social media and more. Central to this discussion is creating and extracting metadata from media files in order to create a rich database critical to search activities or for distributing assets to related law-enforcement entities.

Community Policing Leadership Strategies in VUCA Situation
VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity-terms used to describe the chaotic, turbulent and rapidly changing communities that have become the new normal in the world of policing. This presentation describes the need for developing deliberate community policing strategies in VUCA situations in order to deliver humane results with confidence. Learn how VUCA applies to community policing strategy and what deliberate leadership strategies are most effective.

Breaking the Stigma: Understanding Compassion Fatigue
You can be profoundly affected by the work you do whether it be by direct exposure to a traumatic event, secondary exposure and more. Compassion fatigue has been described as the ‘cost of caring’ for others in emotional pain and can strike the most dedicated worker. Burned out, worn down, fatigued and traumatized workers can descend down a path filled with serious physical and mental health difficulties. This session focuses on assisting workers to identify different forms of work-related trauma, learn proper debriefing techniques and learn how to build resiliency before taking time off work.

Police Response and Mental Health
Police officers are often the first to respond when persons experience a mental health crisis in the community. They must de-escalate volatile situations and bring the person to the attention of either the criminal justice or mental health care system. Issues such as repeated police contact, excessive ED wait times, liability concerns and the lack of resources suggest the system is broken. This presentation will provide the evidence to show how the use of a new mental health screening tool by a major police service enhanced the ability of police officers to identify persons with serious mental disorders and has contributed toward building a more collaborative relationship with our partners in the ED. It helps officers to accurately capture their observations pertaining to a person’s state of mind and to more effectively articulate their beliefs to ED staff.

Police Professionalism-The Time Has Come Today
The economics of community safety and the demands of changing public attitudes and expectations brings us to a watershed moment in policing.
The intent of this presentation is both a historical look at the concept of police professionals and an examination of what is required to be acknowledged as a professional in today’s dynamic working environments. It will explore the issues related to the recognition of the “profession” and identify opportunities to advance a Canadian policing profession in light of the changing societal and economic realities and the recent events that have implications for policing management and governance. Throughout history the roles and perspectives of police have evolved and changed in response to the pressures and drivers for safe and secure communities. Policing will need to impact peoples’ lives in new and transformative ways – but the professional foundations must be strong.

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