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Monday, December 26, 2011

Happy Holidays!

Greetings! I hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! If you had to work on Christmas or Hanukkah, thanks for keeping our streets safe for the rest of us.

I'd like to welcome two new members to the Region:

Chief Gregory Harman from the Kensingon Police Department, California
Detective Rachel Rohkohl from the Phoenix Police Department, Arizona

It's good to have you as new members! I encourage you, as well as everyone in the Region, to pass onto me any news that might be happening in your agencies or local areas, including training opportunities, officer safety info, promotions, retirements, etc. so that I can pass the info onto everyone in the Region. Send the info to me at RLM2214A@aol.com, and I'll make sure it's passed on. Thanks!

Speaking of retirements, I'd like to congratulate Region 10 member, Sergeant Gabriel "Gabe" Gallaread from the San Francisco Police Department on his retirement on November 25th! He came into the Department on 1/7/80, and was promoted to Sergeant on 7/16/05. Enjoy, Gabe; you'll love it!!

Congratulations also goes out to San Luis Obispo (California) Chief Deb Linden on her retirement after a 27 year career in law enforcement. Deb left an 18 year career with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department as the highest ranking woman there, to lead the San Luis Obispo Police Department in 2003. Thanks for your service and leadership, Deb, and good luck in your retirement.

I'd also like to congratulate Region 10 member, Darcy Olmos, on her upcoming wedding! All the best to the two of you, Darcy, and many years of happiness!

For those of you considering attending the annual training conference in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in September, online registrations and payment options are now online. Payment methods accepted are Master Card, VISA, and bank transfers. The U.S./Canadian exchange rate is automatically calculated by the credit card companies and banks, so paying in that manner will be easier than paying by check. To go directly to their online registation, go to http:www.iawp2012.org/registration/index.html. The Conference Committee has extended their early bird registration rates until the end of January, so register soon to take advantage of that option. For more information on the conference, please go to the IAWP website at www.iawp.org, and click under the 2012 conference. This will be the organization's 50th annual training conference, and I know it will be a good one. I encourage you to try and come if you can. And, of course, it's a tax write-off, to boot!

Region 10 member, Ally Jacobs, advised me that a New Jersey officer is selling memorial pins for those who may be interested. Go to www.rak-wear.com to see the pins and to get details on purchasing them. The pins have an angel presenting a golden flag, and have a black bar on the top and bottom of the pin, and a blue bar in the middle.

Finally, for anyone who is retired and is having any difficulties transitioning from their lives in law enforcement to that of a civilian, or if you know of someone who is, there's a great article on the badge of life website to check out. Go to www.badgeoflife.com/, click on Home, click on Resources, then, click on "Retirement, the Last Police Trauma." Some of us have no trouble whatsoever embracing retirement; however, there are many that find the transition especially difficult. Reach out to those that might be struggling and remind them they are still, and always will be, part of the law enforcement family.

Take care, stay safe, and I hope everyone has a happy and healthy New Year.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving and More!

Greetings one and all! I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday celebrating with family and friends. For those of you who had to work, thank you for keeping the streets safe for the rest of us, and enjoy your Thanksgiving celebration whenever you're able to do so.

I'd like to welcome Allison "Ally" Jacobs from the University of California, Berkeley Police Department, as a new member of the IAWP and to Region 10. Ally joined as a lifetime member! Glad to have you with us, my friend!

I recently attended the 6th Annual Women Leaders in Law Enforcement (WLLE) Training Symposium that was held in San Jose, California, November 13-15, 2011. It was great to see so many Region 10 members in attendance, including some of you who I hadn't had a chance to meet face-to-face before! I hope even more of you will be able to attend next year when it's down in Southern California. (The symposium alternates from being held in Northern California and Southern California year to year). I'll be sure and let you know when and where next year's training will be held once the details are finalized. Check out their website at http://www.wlle.net/ for information on past symposiums, as well as this year's event. Over 550 women (and some men) in law enforcement attended this year's training, not including those who had volunteered to work the event, which is a true testament to the power of this annual training event, even in the face of huge budget cuts and layoffs. Plan on coming next year; you won't be sorry!

Region 10 member, Captain Alana Forrest from the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department (on the left in the below photo), was surprised at the symposium by receiving the 1st Annual CPOA Trailblazer Award, which was presented to her by the President of the California Police Officers' Association, Chief Sandra Spagnoli from the San Leandro Police Department, who is also a Region 10 member! The Trailblazer Award recognizes a woman in California who, by demonstrating outstanding achievement within their job tenure and in their community, has enhanced the visibility and stature of women in law enforcement. The award will be given each year at the annual WLLE Symposium! A wonderful article on Alana receiving the award was published in the Los Gatos Patch newspaper; check it out at http://losgatos.patch.com/articles/town-cop-recognized-for-advancing-women-in-law-enforcement. Congratulations, Alana! You deserve it.

Until next time, stay safe and have a wondeful holiday season.






Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Warrior Women

Greetings! First of all, I'd like to acknowledge a new member to the Region, as well as several others who have renewed their memberships. I received the updated list following my most recent blog posting.

Welcome to new member, Officer Arline Gilmore from the San Francisco Police Department, as well as to the following who have renewed their memberships:

Officer Marquita Booth, San Francisco Police Department
Inspector Madeline Schatz, DHS-TSA in Las Vegas, Nevada
Lieutenant Nina Jamsen, San Bernadino County Sheriff's Office
Sergeant Daphine Bates, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office
Chief Charlie Beck, Los Angeles Police Department

I'd like to also take this time to thank Chief Beck for his continued support of the IAWP. It is SO important for the leadership in our law enforcement organizations to be aware of the IAWP, and the resources, networking, training, and support that are available to the women AND men in their organizations by becoming members. Your support is VERY much appreciated! I encourage everyone to print off a membership application from the IAWP website at www.iawp.org and forward it to your Chiefs and Sheriffs, encouraging them to join, and to pass the information onto the women in their organizations. They won't have an opportunity to support the IAWP or encourage the women in their organizations to join if they don't know we exist.

For those of you who were able to attend the past 2 IAWP Conferences, you likely met Louann from LouKa Tactical Training. LouKa Tactical Training is a woman owned, Michigan-based performance improvement public safety consulting and training group, who specializes in customizing training for your agencies, particularly in the area of training specialty units. Their mission states that they "exist for the sole purpose of assisting public safety agencies in improving their overall performance by introducing innovative, functional and reality-based training solutions for their organization." Check out their website at www.loukatactical.com for more information on the company and their training schedule, or contact Louann directly at 734-260-2975 or by e-mail at louannblackwidow@aol.com or louann@loukatactical.com. Thanks for your continued support of the IAWP, Louann!

Louann has also developed the most AWESOME long and short sleeved t-shirts that I've seen in a long time called Warrior Women. The shirts have a large, overlapping WW at the top of the back of the shirt, followed with the initials/spelling of Warrior going down the back of the shirt, with the initials of Warrior highlighted in black. Next to each letter are the following:

Well trained
Able
Ready
Resilient
Independent
On target
Resourceful

She describes the Warrior Women concept as philosophical, not occupational. "The Warrior Women idea is about whom women are rather than what they are. Although they do exist in the public safety profession and on battlefields, they also exist on athletic fields, in boardrooms, courtrooms, classrooms, operating rooms and in our homes. Warrior Women are those women who make a conscious decision to take control over their environment and create positive futures for themselves and their loved ones. They are survivors of illness, poverty, abuse, and personal loss. They are strong and independent and are willing to fight for their principals regardless of the outcome. Warrior Women are high spirited. They choose excellence over mediocrity and take a leadership role in mentoring others to do the same. They are resilient during setbacks and view adversity as opportunities. Women become Warrior Women by choice and by God's design . . ."

You can access additional information about Warrior Women through the above website through LouKa Tactical Training, or by going to www.thewarriorwomen.us/.

Until next time, stay safe!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Happy Autumn

Greetings one and all! I hope you're enjoying the beginning of autumn, thus far, after a busy summer. I attended the annual IAWP Conference in Lexington, Kentucky in August, and had a wonderful time seeing old friends and making some new ones. In addition, the training and networking opportunities were priceless! If you haven't had an opportunity to attend one of our conferences before, I strongly encourage you to give it a try; you won't be sorry! Next year's conference will be held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, September 9-13, 2012, and will be the organization's 50th Annual Training Conference! Check out the IAWP website at http://www.iawp.org/, and go under Conferences to get details; it's looking like it's going to be another great one!

I'd like to welcome the following new members to Region 10 since my last blog entry:

Officer Elizabeth Prillinger, San Francisco Police Department
Officer Lilia Vasquez, Sacramento Police Department
Officer Andrea Dion, East Palo Alto Police Department
Commander Lea Militello, San Francisco Police Department

I'd also like to welcome back those of you who have renewed your memberships:

Sergeant Judy Riggle, San Francisco Police Department
Lieutenant Renota Martinez, San Francisco Police Department
Sp. Agent (retired) Ester O'Keefe, CA Department of Justice
Sergeant Rhonda Wood, Irvine Police Department
Chief Sandra Spagnoli, San Leandro Police Department
Lieutenant (retired) Pat Correa, San Francisco Police Department

Welcome one and all!

Congratulations go out to Wendy Bear from the San Francisco Police Department on her promotion to Sergeant on October 1st! I'm SO glad you got picked up, my friend; you're going to be an excellent addition to the rank!

I'd also like to congratulate Commander Lea Militello from the San Francisco Police Department, who was chosen by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as their 2011 Charles M. Holmes Community Service Award Winner! Lea was honored at HRC's 27th Annual San Francisco Bay Area Annual Gala dinner last night at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Lea has been a tireless advocate for LGBT equality, and is a wonderful example of what a leader should be. AND, on a personal note, Lea was my first partner when I came into the Department, so I know first hand what type of a cop and leader she is. Way to go, buddy!

Other news in the Region . . .

Laura Farinella from the Long Beach Police Department was promoted to Deputy Chief. She is the first woman to achieve the rank of Deputy Chief in the Department's 103 year history, and the first openly gay or lesbian officer to achieve the rank. Check out the Contra Costa Times newspaper article on the promotion by going to http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_19006766. Congratulations, Laura!

AND finally, yours truly retired from the San Francisco Police Department on October 15th after more than 29 years in the Department! It's truly been an honor working for such a great Department; however, I'm looking forward to this next phase of my life where I'll get to continue traveling, but without a timeframe on when I have to be back!! A retirement party is being thrown for me on Saturday night, November 5th, at the Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. If anyone has an interest in attending, send me an e-mail at RLM2214A@aol.com, and I'll give you all of the particulars. Dinner choices need to be into the hotel by November 1st!

Take care and stay safe as we head into the holiday season!





Lexington Conference


March to the Opening Ceremonies






Lexington Conference
March to the Opening Ceremonies






Lexington Conference
Region 10 Coordinator, Robin Matthews, with Officer Ally Jacobs, IAWP Excellence in Performance Winner from the Jaycee Dugard case






Lexington Conference
Region 10 members, Cande Ackler and Sita Singh




Sunday, August 7, 2011

Welcome!

Greetings! Welcome to the following new members of Region 10 over the past month:

D/Sheriff Amy Youngblood - Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Nevada
Officer Alane Baca - San Francisco Police Department, CA

We're glad to have you as part of the IAWP family!

Also, welcome back to the following members who have renewed their memberships:

Inspector Sylvia Morrow - San Francisco Police Department, CA
Inspector Cheryl Brasil - Alameda County District Attorney's Office, CA
Inspector Yvonne Allen (nee Pratt) - San Francisco Police Department, CA
Sergeant Joni Lee - South San Francisco Police Department, CA
Sergeant Christa Cappiali - Richmond Police Department, CA
Lieutenant Andrea Arreola - San Diego County Sheriff's Office, CA
Commander Lin Adams - Mesa Police Department, AZ

The National Center for Women and Policing publications are now available to download or to order. Check out http://www.womenandpolicing.org/publications.asp to see what's available.

If any of your agencies has a monthly or quarterly publication that comes out, please consider writing a short blurb about the IAWP, along with submitting the organization's membership form (which can be obtained online at the organization's website at www.iawp.org), and send it to the editor to have him/her print it in the publication; it's a fast and easy was to help spread the word about the IAWP to the other women in your organization! If you don't feel comfortable doing that, you can always just send a personal note, along with the membership form, directly to the women in your agencies, to let them know about the IAWP and to encourage them to join. SO many women in the law enforcement profession still are not aware of the organization's existence, so it's up to all of us to help spread the word, so they're aware of this valuable resource and networking opportunity!

There's still time to register for the annual training conference in Lexington, Kentucky later his month. Check out the website at www.iawp.org for more details. I hope to see a good turnout there from the Region! And, if you're not able to attend and have any ideas or concerns that you would like me to bring before the Board of Directors at the meeting prior to the conference, let me know no later than Wednesday, August 17th; I head for Lexington on the 18th!

Take care and stay safe.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Congratulations!

Hello again! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, so far. Congratulations are in order for Region 10 member, Ellen Kirschman. The Public Safety Writers Association awarded her book, "I Love a Cop: What Police Families Need to Know" 1st Prize during their recent awards presentations, along with the Grand Prize OVERALL in their non-fiction category!!

In addition, Ellen has written a book of fiction that, as of yet, is unpublished, titled "Burying Ben." The story is about a young rookie officer who kills himself, and his anguished psychologist must uncover why he committed suicide, and why he left a note blaming her. The book sounds like it's going to be another amazing book, and apparently, the Public Safety Writers Association thought so, as well, as Ellen won 1st Prize in the Unpublished Category for the book, as well! What a fantastic honor for someone who has supported law enforcement officers for years! Congratulations, Ellen; you deserve it, and thanks again for all the support you have given to all of us in law enforcement officers over the years.

For those who have never read Ellen's book, "I Love a Cop," I HIGHLY recommend it, not only for those of you in law enforcement, but also for your family members. I guarantee you it will be money worth spending (and, it's a tax write-off for you, to boot!)

Also, congratulations are in order for Caroline Serrato from the Hillsborough Police Department in California; Caroline was just promoted to Captain! Good luck in your new position; I know you'll be great in it!

If anyone has any news to share that you think would be of interest to members in the Region, please let me know, and I'll be happy to share it with everyone on the blog. Also, if you have any recommendations on books to read that would benefit those of us in the profession, please e-mail them to me at RLM2214A@aol.com, and I'll add a suggested reading list on the blog.

Thanks, and stay safe.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Conference time and training time!

Greetings one and all. I hope everyone had a safe 4th of July and you're enjoying the summer.

I'd like to welcome Major Moana Heu from the Honolulu Police Department as a new member to the IAWP, as well as to send a thank you out to retired Lieutenant Susanne Hackett from the Minnesota State Patrol, who now lives in the Region, for renewing her membership. Good to have you both as members of Region 10!

There's still time to make arrangements to attend this year's training conference, that will be held in Lexington, Kentucky next month. If you go onto the IAWP website at www.iawp.org and check out the 2011 conference, you'll see just what an outstanding program the conference committee has awaiting us, and all the details you'll need to know to attend. The training is going to be outstanding, the accommodations are affordable, and the networking opportunities that you'll have with law enforcement members from around the country and around the world will be priceless!

If you haven't attended an IAWP Conference before, I can tell you that it will be one of the most powerful experiences you'll ever have in your career, and it is well worth the time and money to attend. I know that many agencies and departments just do not have funds available right now to send their members away for training, but I urge you not to let that stop you. Departments may be willing to "detail you to training," especially if you're willing to pay your own way, which will help save you some vacation time, will give you some excellent training and to be able to bring it back to your own agencies to share, and it's a fantastic tax write-off, to boot! Even if you can't get detailed and you have to use your own time, I can assure you it will be worth using your own time to go. I hope to see many of you from the Region there!

Calibre Press is hosting a Leadership Tactics course that is exclusive for command staff and supervisors August 10-11, 2011 at the Sunnyvale Police Department Training Facility in Sunnyvale, California. Tuition is $395.00. This intensive course will help you develop and refine your leadership and supervisory skills, guiding you to not only lead, but to implement change, even when met with resistance and hostility. The course will help you examine your own leadership qualities and personal leadership style and ultimately make a significant impact on your organizational culture. To register, please contact Megan Graavley at 1-800-323-0037, extension 5163, or by e-mail at megan.gravley@calibrepress.com. Hotel information for the training can be obtained on the Calibre Press website at www.calibrepress.com. The seminar only has a maximum capacity of 30 seats for command staff and supervisors, so contact Megan if you're interested in attending to reserve your spot. Make sure you let her know you are an IAWP member and a 15% discount will be available for you!

Finally, make sure you "SAVE THE DATE" for the 6th Annual Women Leaders in Law Enforcement Training Symposium (WLLE) that will be held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose on November 13-15, 2011. This has fast become THE premiere law enforcement training in the State, and attendees numbering 500-600 are the norm and not the exception! This year's programming features dynamic Plenary Sessions by Gordon Graham, Sergeant Betsy Branter-Smith, and Iraqi War Veteran and Paralympian Melissa Stockwell, along with a number of other training sessions, Cross Fit workouts and more! Also, back this year by popular demand is not one, but two sessions of "Speed Coaching" in which attendees have the opportunity to interact with chief officers, second-in-commands, and civilian managers from various agencies throughout California.

Check out their website at www.wlle.net for detailed information on the training, hotel, and everything you need to know to get the most out of this fantastic training. Although most of the attendees are from California, the training is open to all law enforcement officers from all agencies and ranks, as well as civilian employees, from any state or country. The Symposium sells out every year, so don't wait too long to register!

Take care and stay safe! And, don't forget . . . if you have any issues, concerns, or comments that you would like me to bring forward for you to the organization's Board of Directors meeting prior to the start of the conference in Lexington, please send them my way to my e-mail address at RLM2214A@aol.com.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Happy Summer!

Hello one and all. Well, I didn't plan on taking 3 months in between blog entries, but time managed to get away from me once again with that thing called "life." It must be my upcoming retirement from the San Francisco Police Department this coming October (though I only have a little over a month of working days left)! It's been a wonderful career of over 29 years. In these times of budgetary crisis, with politicians going after our pensions, healthcare, and proposing layoffs, remember why you became a law enforcement officer in the first place - to serve and protect. It doesn't make it all better, but it does help, and is not something that any politician or anyone else can take away from us.

Welcome to the following Region 10 members:

Officer Sarah Spires - Pittsburg Police Department
Sergeant Renee Pagano - San Francisco Police Department
Captain Esmeralda Falat - California Highway Patrol
D/Coroner Investigator Kim Pavek - Los Angeles County Coroner's Office
D/Sheriff Michelle Roberts - Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office
Officer Soila McKay - UNLV Department of Police Services
Lieutenant Edmond Finizie - North Las Vegas Police Department
Dr. Ellen Kirschman, Ph.D. - Redwood City, California
Rita Lee/Bulletproof Consulting - North Hollywood, California

Welcome also to the following Region 10 members who renewed their memberships:

Officer Frances Williams - San Francisco Police Department
Civilian Teresa Gibson - San Jose Police Department
Officer Lori Williams - Riverside City College District Police Department
Captain Anna Brown - San Francisco Police Department
Officer Mary Keller - Paradise Valley Arizona Police Department
Lieutenant Molly Pengel - San Francisco Police Department
Detective Heather Hendrickson - Sacramento Police Department
Retired Sergeant Joy Mundy - Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Please spread the word about the IAWP. There's still SO many women in law enforcment that aren't aware that we even exist, even though we are the oldest women's law enforcement organization in the world, having been in existence since 1915. The connections that we're able to make through the organization with women (and some men) in law enforcement from around the country and around the world is priceless and well worth the cost of membership. (Refer people to the organization's website at www.iawp.org for membership information). And don't forget, it's a tax write-off, to boot!

A BIG congratulations go out to Officer Ally Jacobs and Police Specialist Lisa Campbell of the University California Police Department/Berkeley on their winning of this year's IAWP Excellence in Performance Award. Ally and Lisa were instrumental in breaking open the Stacey Dugard kidnapping case, when the Gardio's kidnapped Stacey at 11 years of age and held her captive for over 18 years, fathering two children during the captivity. If you're able, come to the conference this year in Lexington in August (see the IAWP website at www.iawp.org for more details) to support Ally and Lisa as they receive their award!

Congratulations also go out to a couple of our Hawaiian sisters in law enforcement - Captain Moana Heu from the Honolulu Police Department was just recently promoted to the rank of Major, and 30 year veteran Officer Marie McCauley was named as one of two deputy chiefs of the Honolulu Police Department, the first woman to ascend to the second-highest rank in the Department. Great job, ladies!!

Take care and stay safe. Until next time . . .

Monday, March 21, 2011

Happy Spring!

Hello again, and Happy Spring! Spring is my absolute favorite season of the year! After growing up in Chicago, spring meant that you had survived yet another one of Chicago's infamous winters! I love that fresh, clean smell in the air after a gentle spring rain, and watching in anticipation as the flowers and trees came alive again! At the moment, though, spring is not "coming in like a lamb"; the San Francisco Bay Area is getting hammered with rain, high winds, and even tornadoes, a rare event indeed for this part of the country, Southern California is having flooding and damage from the winds and rain, and other parts of the Region and the country are feeling the power of Mother Nature. Our hearts go out to all of those who have been affected by the extremes in the weather as Spring arrives, and especially for those who have been impacted in Japan by the terrible earthquake and tsunami that has rocked their country.

I hope that many of you were able to attend the Women's Street Survivor Seminar that was put on by Calibre Press in Las Vegas last month. All reports I've heard was that it was absolutely fantastic! I had the privilege of attending their first women's training back in the late 90's, and it was truly some of the best training I've ever attended. Betsy Brantner-Smith is the lead instructor for the training, and if you've never had an opportunity to hear her speak, keep an eye out for her coming to your area - she is a dynamic speaker, and you'll come away from the training rejuvenated and energized!

Special thanks go out to IAWP member, Bettina Aschenbrenner, the Law Enforcement Education Coordinator for the American Military University out of Manassas, Virginia. Bettina graciously donated 3 registrations for the training to the San Francisco Police Department; of the 3 who attended, 2 became new IAWP members, and the third renewed her membership after being expired since 2004! Bettina will be at the IAWP Conference in Lexington; go by the AMU booth and say hi!

Welcome new Region 10 members:

Officer Stacie Abney - Vallejo Police Department
Lt./Commander Gretchen Jacobs - California Highway Patrol
Captain Robin Faille - Yolo County Sheriff's Office
Officer Brandie Dressel - California Highway Patrol
D/Sheriff Lillian Granillo - Orange County Sheriff's Office
Deputy Michelle Roberts - Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office
Officer Soila McKay - UNLV Police Services
Deputy Investigator Kim Pavek (associate member) - Los Angeles County Dept. of Coroner
Lt. Edmond Finizie - North Las Vegas Police Department

Welcome also to those who have renewed their memberships:

Officer Christine Haddad - Oakland Unified Scjhool District, Dept. of Police Services
D/Sheriff Teresa Collentine - Sacramento County Sheriff's Office
Retired Lt. Tina Zakhary - Stockton Police Department
Sgt. Brenda Trobaugh - Frenso Police Department
Officer Lori Ann Williams - Riverside City College District Police Department

Congratulations go out to Sharon Pietrok from the Anaheim Police Department on her recent promotion to Lieutenant! Congratulations also go out to Belinda Brewer from the Anaheim P.D. on her promotion to Captain! (More on "Bea's" promotion to Captain, the first in the history of her Department, can be found in the March-May issue of WomenPolice!) You guys both rock!!

Don't forget to send me any news from your agencies, so I can share with the Region. Stay safe!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Greetings one and all! I hope that your plans for 2011 will include attending this year's 49th Annual IAWP Training Conference in Lexington, Kentucky, August 21st through the 25th at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Lexington. For those of you who have never attended an IAWP Conference before, I can tell you that it is an amazing opportunity, not only for obtaining some outstanding training, but also for making important law enforcement connections with other women from around the country and around the world. It's an investment in your future, and one that you shouldn't miss. (AND, it's a tax write-off to boot!) Check out the link to the 2011 conference on the IAWP website at www.iawp.org.

For those of you who might be interested in presenting at the Conference in Lexington, their Training Committee is currently asking for a "call for papers" for people to submit their workshop proposals. The Committee is working to ensure that the 2011 workshops reflect the international interests of the IAWP membership and attendees at the event, and are looking at training to be developed along topic tracks which include the following:

Tactical/Patrol
Leadership/Supervision
International Policing
Global Terrorism
Emerging Trends/Topics - Investigations, Technology, Training

Individuals or organizations wishing to conduct a workshop at the Conference must complete and submit a Workshop Proposal Form to the Training Committee by February 1st. To obtain a copy of the Workshop Proposal Form, go onto the 2011 Conference link on the IAWP website.

The Women's Street Survival Seminar presented by Calibre Press will be held February 16th and 17th at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino at 4000 W. Flamingo Road in Las Vegas, 800-331-5334. Tuition for the seminar is $215.00 per officer and $75.00 for a spouse. PoliceOne members will receive a 10% discount on their Street Survival tuition. (To secure your discount, mention the code "P1C" if registering by phone, or include it on your faxed, mailed or e-mailed registration. If registering on the Calibre Press web site, please include this code in the "DISCOUNT CODE" section). Registration for the training begins at 0730 hrs, and the class runs from 0800-1700 hrs. daily. Instructors for the training will be Retired Sergeant Betsy Branter Smith and Dave "Buck Savage" Smith.

This training is a MUST attend for anyone in law enforcement of any rank, whether you're a rookie or a salty veteran. The skills you will learn in this training can save your life, and the dynamic instructors are riviting and will really provide you with an eye opening experience. I've attended both a "regular" Street Survivor Seminar, as well as the Women's Street Survival Seminar, and both are excellent; however, as a female law enforcement officer, there was NOTHING like attending the Women's Seminar, which addressed many issues that are specific to women. I can't recommend this training enough, and Betsy is one of the most dynamic speakers I've ever experienced. You won't regret attending! To register for this event, contact Christine Williams at 800-323-0037, extension 5161 or by e-mail at christine.williams@calibrepress.com. And for those of you living in Nevada, the training has been approved for requirements by the Nevada Commission on P.O.S.T.

Finally, the California Peace Officers' Association (CPOA) will be hosting it's 91st Annual Leadership Summit, "Developing Excellence in Leadership", at the Omni Hotel in San Diego, May 25-27, 2011. Region 10 member, Chief Sandra Spagnoli from the San Leandro (CA) Police Department, will be honored as the CPOA's incoming President! For more information, contact the CPOA at 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 1495 in Sacramento, CA 95814.

Until next time, stay safe!







Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to one and all! I hope this new year is a happy, healthy, and safe one for all of you and your families, and that you all had a wonderful holiday season.

The California Homicide Investigators Association's 2011 Conference will be hosted by the San Francisco Police Department from February 28-March 3, 2011 at the Hilton Hotel at 333 O'Farrell Street in downtown San Francisco. During this four day event, the participants will attend notable case presentations and training seminars. In addition, the conference provides a fertile environment for networking, individual case evaluations and discussion of techniques with some of the top investigators and prosecutors in the country. For information, please contact Lieutenant Michael Stasko at 415-850-7702/cell or 415-553-1501/work or Inspector Dave Falzon at 415-553-1049/work. Let them know you heard about the training through me and the IAWP!

Please let me know of any trainings, promotions, retirements, or anything else of interest going on in your agencies or local areas so that I can pass the information along to the entire Region through this blog. In addition, as you have seen in the latest Women Police magazine, our Editor, Simon Townsley, has included a two page section in the magazine called Regional Roundup, which is an area that the Regions can report things going on that would be of interest to the entire membership and not just something that would be better off being posted on the Region blogs. Not everything submitted necessarily will be printed in the magazine; however, it is the goal of the Board of Directors that every Regional Coordinator submit something to Simon for consideration for every issue.

That being said, MY deadline for sending submissions to Simon for the next magazine is January 31, 2011, so please send me any information of things going on in your agencies or local areas so that I can pass them onto Simon for consideration. Those not printed in the magazine, I will include on the blog.

In addition, I would REALLY love to see our Region's membership grow this year. In fact, I am SO confident that we can increase our membership, that I have taken on a challenge made by Region 6 Coordinator, Diane Mueller, at the Minneapolis Conference this past September to get 100 new members to join the IAWP by next year's conference in August in Lexington, Kentucky! With your help, I KNOW we can do it! Please print off the application form for membership off of the IAWP website at www.iawp.org and send to the women in your agencies with a note encouraging them to join (and it's a tax write-off, to boot!) If you have an organizational magazine or newspaper, forward the application and information onto them for inclusion in the publications on a monthly basis. When you get someone to join, let me know their name, rank and agency, and I'll confirm with Wendy Wilson, the Membership Chair, that she's received their membership fees, and I'll send you an IAWP Challenge Coin as thanks!

So many women in law enforcement are not aware of the IAWP or the benefits they will gain from becoming a member. You helping get that information out to the women in law enforcement that you know can make a huge difference in their lives. Share the good news about the IAWP!