Welcome Remarks

Mike Boward, Sergeant
Fort Collins Police

Keynote Address: The Future of Policing in the United States

• Recap on the struggles of the past several years for police departments across the country related to budget reform and highly publicized incidents in the media
• Analyze unique opportunities to change the perception of policing within your communities
• Refresh the culture within your departments to promote a positive image and reward excellence in policing

Michele Freeman, Chief (Retired)
City of Las Vegas, Department of Public Safety

Capitalize on Pre-Screening to Streamline the Recruiting Process

• Accelerate the hiring process to capture highly sought after candidates
• Reduce hiring costs by improving organizational workflow
• Increase candidate pool by offering valuable coaching for those that need extra attention
• Avoid negative hires that would be harmful for your departments image through crafted assessments

Todd Mickelsen, CEO
Converus

Additional speaker to be announced

Support Promotional Goals Through Advancing your Education

• Calculate the benefits of furthering your education to achieve promotional goals and stand out from the crowd
• Assess how police departments use educational incentives as a retention tool
• Explore educational opportunities that are available to you that support law enforcement professionals and understand the balance of education whilst working
• Prepare your time efficiently to achieve success in your work life, personal life, family life, and education with strong time management skills

Speaker to be announced

(Reserved for National University)

Successful Recruiting: A Case Study

Featuring the Mesa Police Department and Epic Recruiting

• Understand today's job seeker and meet them where they are
• Develop a brand and produce professional content
• Explore why a recruiting website matters... It's all about the data
• Use online advertising to increase reach, generate awareness, and drive conversions

Nik Rasheta, Detective, Recruiter, Community Relations Division
Mesa Police Department

Sam Blonder, CEO
Epic Recruiting

Brittany Noble, Digital Marketing Manager
Epic Recruiting

Alex Johnston, Chief Creative Officer
Epic Recruiting

Recruit your Recruiters- Identify the Best Traits of a Recruiter

• Identify which characteristics make the best recruiters for your department
• Utilize these metrics to purposely recruit the person that fits the characteristics to join your recruitment team
• Continue to develop and assess your recruiting team to ensure you are maximizing positive qualities within all recruiting efforts

Vereen Barton, MAFP, MPhil, Captain, Assistant Division Chief, Director of Investigative & OAO Services
Maryland-National Capital Park Police 

Mike Boward, Sergeant
Fort Collins Police

Community Engagement Utilizing Reverse Ride Along

• Enable academy recruits to engage with the community they intend to serve through ride along training
• Build bridges with community members by listening and understanding their vision and goals of building relationships with your department
• Ensure you have the right candidate to serve the community by analyzing their experience and connection with valuable community members

Shawn J. Smith, FBINA 284, CLEE, Lieutenant, OIC Training Section
Cleveland Division of Police

Adopt a Sales Industry Approach to Recruiting New Officers

• Explore how major organizations in the sales industry have adjusted their approach to attract younger consumers
• Examine opportunities to borrow these concepts to increase the number of interactions and touches with interested candidates
• Implement new techniques to improve your database of possible recruits, create an email cadence, capitalize on social media, and improve marketing materials to increase lead-conversion

Speaker to be announced

Improve Recruiting Efforts for Smaller Agencies

• Assess your current recruiting practices to ensure you are maximizing your recruiting budget
• Identify free opportunities to connect with new candidates such as speaking in schools/universities, interactions at local sporting events, and attending community functions
• Maximize visibility with your social media platforms and website, with regular posts promoting your department in a positive image

Speaker to be announced

The Power of Direct & Indirect Marketing Videos and Using Low-Cost Equipment

• The power of cultivating your social media audience with both direct and indirect marketing videos.
• Explore opportunities to create valuable content through an in-house marketing team with a minimal budget.
• Assess best practices when filming with a cell phone or low-cost video camera to capture the correct lighting, angles, and content to capture images that positively represent your department.
• Gain valuable interactions with the public by using positive images and videos through the social media platforms that reach your community members.

Stephen W. Benson II, MBA, Officer, Strategic Engagement Office, Executive Office of the Chief of Police
Metropolitan Police Department

Patrick Loftus, Lieutenant, Director, Strategic Engagement Office, Executive Office of the Chief of Police Metropolitan Police Department

Closing Session

Mike Boward, Sergeant
Fort Collins Police

Opening Remarks

Mike Boward, Sergeant
Fort Collins Police

Suppressing Ego and Improving Self Esteem- A Key to Building Effective Teams and Retaining Officers

• Identify key characteristics of inflated or damaged egos to determine if ego related issues are impacting your department
• Analyze the negative impact a bad ego can have on team morale and retention
• Invest in wellness techniques to help improve attitude and ego to ensure quality team performance and increase positive attitudes across the department

Ron Camacho, Chief of Police
Chambersburg Borough Police Department

The Impact of Department Culture on Officer Retention

• Discuss how academies, field training units, and first line supervisors impact retention of new employees
• Examine your own agency's culture and practices and evaluate areas of growth opportunity
• Implement tools to positively impact agency culture, foster and develop new staff, and increase retention

Clay Swensen, Lieutenant, Patrol Division
Sandy Police Department

Graham Tinius, INCI, Master Field Training Officer
NAFTO

Strategies to Avoid Recruiter Burnout

• Assess key characteristics of burnout to identify them within your recruiting department
• Implement innovative approaches to ensure you are maximizing recruiting efforts without overloading valuable team members
• Educate and utilize front line staff as the face of the agency to help with recruiting efforts

Vereen Barton, MAFP, MPhil, Captain, Assistant Division Chief, Director of Investigative & OAO Services
Maryland-National Capital Park Police

Additional speaker to be announced

Positively Change Perceptions and Attitudes to Improve Retention

• Overcome toxic perceptions of the police department by building bridges within your community through volunteering and being present at community engagements
• Reward and highlight positive policing efforts to demonstrate a culture of excellence within the department
• Share positive policing through your social media platforms and website to enhance visibility of a department with an excellent culture within your community

Speaker to be announced

Aspiring Change for Women in Law Enforcement Through Mentorship Programs

• Comprehend the importance of a mentorship program that helps nurture valuable female professionals on your team
• Identify mentors within your department that have the necessary characteristics of a mentor including leadership, communication, empathy, education, and guidance skill sets
• Ensure that all female professionals within the department receive valuable support through mentorship to increase retention and guide them to achieve their career goals

Detective Michelle McAllister, Police Personnel Background Investigator
Prince William County Police Department 

Terry Ralph, Master Police Officer
Prince William County Police Department

Physical and Mental Wellness as a Retention Tool

• Implement educational opportunities and team support to embrace the importance of physical and mental wellness within your departments culture
• Ensure that all officers have access to the facilities or counselors needed to achieve their psychological and physiological goals
• Explore low-cost solutions for officers such as mental health apps or work out programs that can be utilized

Speaker to be announced

Closing Session

Mike Boward, Sergeant
Fort Collins Police