St. Petersburg, Fla. (September 28, 2018) – The National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) brings its 24th Annual Conference to St. Petersburg September 30 to October 4. Held for the first time in Florida, more than 426 attendees from all across the U.S. and nine countries are registered for the five-day national conference at the waterfront Renaissance Vinoy Resort. There’s still time to register at nacole.org.
“Over the last year, we have experienced a difficult political and social climate and increasing division between communities and their police agencies. However, we have also seen a level of commitment to civilian oversight of law enforcement, to implement and sustain reforms, and to advance more just communities,” said Cameron McEllhiney, NACOLE Director of Education and Training.
Starting September 30 to October 4, NACOLE members and the greater oversight community come together in St. Petersburg, Florida to discuss the continued need to work toward change and the methods by which we can all work to affect real and sustainable reform. Themed “Sustaining Reform. Advancing Justice,” this year’s conference will feature four tracks that contain information that touches on all of the Core Competencies for Civilian Oversight Practitioners:
- Training for Oversight
- Correctional Oversight
- Building Public Trust
- Sustainable Reform Efforts
Within these four tracks conference attendees will be able to choose from 31 different plenary and concurrent sessions covering topics such as less lethal policies and tactics; sexual harassment; assessing institutional culture; best practices for volunteer review boards; and the anatomy of police-community relations.
In addition to attending sessions like those noted above, attendees will have the opportunity to network with hundreds of others in the ever-growing community of civilian oversight practitioners, community members, law enforcement officials, journalists, elected officials, students and others working for greater accountability, transparency, and trust. They will be a part of a learning and networking event that will provide inspiration, ideas, and practical knowledge to overcome challenges and continue the work.
NACOLE’s Cameron McEllhiney added, “The City of St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Civilian Police Review Committee will serve as our hosts and, in the midst of a schedule of training, they will share with us their work as a community to promote trust and transparency and serve as a bridge between the police and the communities they serve.”