Happy Spring!

Greetings! I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of the spring season. Those of us in Northern California are FINALLY getting some much needed rain, so be careful in your travels as that old oil comes up to the surface on the roads.

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

Detective Maria Ciuffetelli - Los Angeles Police Department
Lieutenant Tamatha Villa - Pinal County Sheriff's Office
Retired Office Constance O'Connor - San Francisco Police Department

As well as some who have renewed their memberships:

Captain Loretta MacPhail - Chico Police Department
Retired Lieutenant Valna Wilson - Orange County Sheriff's Office
Reired Officer Michelle Wilson - San Diego Police Department
Detective Lori Reynolds - Fresno Police Department
Detective Deborah Golzales - Los Angeles Police Department
Sergeant Tracie Keillor - Sacramento County Sheriff's Office

Welcome one and all! Please forward me any news from your agencies or local areas, such as upcoming trainings, officer safety info, promotions, retirements - anything that you'd like passed onto the Region - and I'll be happy to do that for you. Just send to my personal e-mail at RLM2214A@aol.com, and I'll be sure to share it.

Congratulations to Assistant Police Chief Marcy Korgenski, who retired from the Ogden (Utah) Police Department on March 15th after 30 years of service. She helped establish the OPD's gang unit, and has worked in virtually every division within the Department. When she was promoted to Patrol Sergeant in 1995, Lieutenant in 1999, and Assistanct Chief in 2010, she was the first woman in her agency to ever hold those posts! Congratulations, Marcy; enjoy your retirement!

Congratulations also goes out to Ethel Meares, who was the first female deputy in the San Bernadino County Sheriff's Department. The Department proclaimed February 14th as a day honoring Ethel, describing her as the county's "first policewoman." The proclaimation coincided with Ethel's 100th birthday! Congratulations, Ethel! Things have changed just a bit since you joined the Sheriff's Department in 1955 at the age of 43! Thanks for being a trail blazer for those who followed you.

For those who may not have checked out the IAWP website lately, the IAWP Annual "Officer-of-the-Year" Awards Program submissions are well under way! These are presigious awards given out each year at the annual training conference, and are given out to female police officers who have distinguished themselves in the following categories: Officer-of-the-Year, Excellence in Performance, Leadership, Mentoring, Medal of Valor, and Community Service. There is also a Civilian Achievement Award, which is given to a civilian woman who has gone above and beyond to support, promote and enhance the criminal justice profession. When you go onto the IAWP website at www.iawp.org, scroll down on the home page, and you'll find the link for the Awards Program, which will give you the criteria for each of the awards, as well as the instructions on how to complete the online application! THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS APRIL 9th!

This is a wonderful program, and I strongly encourage you to submit names of women who fit the criteria for these awards to give them a chance to be acknowledged for the fantastic work they are doing. We don't often get acknowledged for the great work we do, even in our own Departments, so to be able to be acknowledged internationally is quite an honor, indeed! The online application process is easy to complete and self-explanatory; there is a 4 typed pages maximum, and can contain no newspaper articles, letters, etc. We all know women in law enforcement that have done some amazing things; we don't usually like to "toot our own horns", but this is one time when those horns should be blasting!!! Submit those women for these awards and help get them the acknowledgement they deserve!

1st Asian Region Women Police Conference

Following the trip to Abu Dhabi, we all flew to Dhaka, Bangladesh, where other Board members joined us. After 2 days of Board meetings, we had the privilege of attending the 1st Asian Region Women Police Conference, that was hosted by the Bangladesh Police Women's Network (another new Affiliate of the IAWP) on March 7th and 8th. Approximately 120 women law enforcement officers from throughout Asia attended the conference, which was held at the Police Staff College in Dhaka, and where we were hosted during our stay. The Opening Ceremonies was held at the Intercontinental Hotel, and attended by a number of high ranking government and law enforcement officials, as well as the UN Resident Coordinator for Bangladesh, all who participated in opening remarks. We then returned to the Police College, and the training classes began.

It was an honor being able to participate in this conference, as well as to participate in the first ever International Women's Day March in Dhaka on International Women's Day on March 8th. It was a powerful experience, and I was truly honored to have been able to be a part of their history! It was also amazing to see posters and signs throughout Dhaka about both the conference and the International Women's Day March. It was clear these were both very important events!

We were also able to visit a Victim Support Centre, which takes care of women and children who are victims of trafficking, acid burn, domestic violence, sexual harassment and rape, which is run by the Women Support & Investigation Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Department. And, along with all of that, Region 15 Coordinator, and Deputy Police Commissioner, Amena Begum, was able to take us to the Ahsan Manzil Palace Museum, the Parliament Building, and other areas in Dhaka, followed by a final banquet where we were entertained by local dancing and singing. A very nice way to end a wonderful experience!

Sheik Zayed Mosque

Following the Emirates Women Police Conference, we were able to spend a few days touring around the area. One of the amazing places we were able to tour was the Sheik Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the 7th largest Mosque in the world. The "call to prayer" that happens 5 times a day, is broadcast through this Mosque, and is connected electronically to all of the other Mosques in Abu Dhabi, so the same "call to prayer" is heard throughout the Emirate.

All women needed to don an abaya (black, full body length covering Arab women often wear) and a sheyla (head covering) prior to entering the grounds of the Mosque. Both are provided at the Mosque; however, knowing I would be touring the Mosque, I had purchased my own head scarf prior to the tour. All who entered were given bags for their shoes, which remained off until we left the grounds. The Mosque and the grounds were breathtaking, and I enjoyed learning more about their faith. I only wish I could have found a booklet about the Mosque, as there were so many details given to us, none of us were able to remember them all. Enjoy some photos from the tour.

The First Women Police Conference in Abu Dhabi

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I had the distinct honor of being able to join a number of the IAWP Board members as we traveled to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to participate in the first ever Women Police Conference in the Gulf States, February 26th through the 28th. The conference theme was "Women Policing . . . New Horizon for Future". The Opening Ceremonies was held at the spectacular Emirates Palace. Between 400-500 women from throughout the Gulf States participated in this history making conference!

The training at the conference, which was held at the Intercontinental Hotel, was excellent, and each training class had standing room only in them, and a line of women outside the rooms hoping to be able to get in! It was a powerful experience, and the interactions they were able to have with each other, and that we were able to have with them, was priceless! It was also a new experience for me to have to wear headphones for translations from Arabic to English for many of the classes, and it gave me a completely different perspective on what others from around the world who have English as a second language often have to contend with when coming to conferences in North America. Many thanks to His Highness Lt. General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, U.A.E. Deputy Prime Minister-Minister of Interior, and 1st Lt. Amnah Mohamed, the President of the Emirates Women Police Association (one of our newest IAWP Affiliates), who hosted and facilitated this first, of hopefully, many future conferences! And, special thanks to Region 16 Coordinator, Steph Harding, who was instrumental in helping put this successful conference together!