2013 IACP LEIM Conference Recap

The event included a variety of plenary sessions and workshops addressing executive, operational, and technical communications and interoperability. The LEIM section of IACP provides information through a variety of events regarding best practices and updates on state-of-the-art law enforcement technology. More than 1,000 chiefs and information technology professionals are members of the LEIM section, including many from outside of the continental United States.

This year’s IACP LEIM did not feature a keynote speaker, so the plenary sessions kicked off quickly following the opening ceremony and welcoming remarks. The first of the two sessions, “The Evolving Role of Technology in Policing: Results of the IACP/LEIM IT Summit,” featured remarks from Scott Edson, commander at the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and Chair of the LEIM Board of Officers; Thomas Casady, Lincoln, Neb., public safety director; Lance Valcour, executive director of Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group (CITIG) and member of the LEIM Board of Officers; and Steve Williams, Major Florida Highway Patrol, CTO, and on the LEIM Board of Officers.

A common thread among many of the event’s speakers and sessions was that of using technology to your advantage and finding ways to “make it work” within your agency. One main issue, aside from costs of new technology, is the governance and local-legislator buy in.