October 19, 2024

Come to the PERF Town Hall Meeting tomorrow in Boston!

 

PERF members,

I’m going to keep today’s message brief because I’m in Boston preparing for tomorrow’s Town Hall Meeting. The Town Hall, held in conjunction with the annual IACP conference, is one of my favorite events of the year, and many of you tell me it’s your favorite PERF event as well. 

It’s fitting that this year’s meeting is in Boston, because I see the New England town meeting as a model for our event. We encourage debate and free-flowing discussion, and try to minimize the use of PowerPoint. I try to make this meeting into a place where chiefs feel comfortable sharing their successes and lessons learned. We want to hear from experienced chiefs and rookie chiefs alike, and those from agencies large and small. We also want to hear from those earlier in their career who may aspire to leadership roles, as well as retired chiefs with lessons to share. I moderate the conversation with the goal of encouraging you all to speak up and tell us what’s going on across the country and the world. We just want to hear from our members! 

PERF’s 2023 Town Hall Meeting at the IACP Conference in San Diego

This year, one of our first conversations will be the upcoming election. U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger will share how he’s preparing at the Capitol and protecting elected officials across the country. Local police chiefs and sheriffs from battleground states will discuss how they are preparing for the threat of political violence and ensure the voting process proceeds smoothly and safely.

Click on the image above to watch highlights from the 2022 Town Hall Meeting

We’ll also talk about PERF’s new report on restraint-related deaths and hear from some chiefs implanting our recommended policies in their departments.

I expect we’ll also discuss:

  • Officer wellness and PERF’s research on law enforcement-focused inpatient treatment centers
  • Police use of artificial intelligence
  • The past year’s decreases in murders and other violent crime
  • The police response to homelessness in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Grants Passdecision

Additionally, we plan to hear from:

  • FBI Director Christopher Wray
  • U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe
  • Customs and Border Protection Acting Deputy Commissioner Pete Flores

So if you’re in Boston this weekend, I encourage you to attend our Town Hall Meeting tomorrow to share your thoughts on those topics and more! The meeting will take place from 1:00-5:00 in the Ballroom on Level 3. Immediately after the meeting, we’ll have a reception from 5:00-7:00 outside the ballroom. And we will be at booth #2525 in the exhibition hall all day Monday and Tuesday.

PERF’s booth at the 2023 IACP Conference in San Diego

I hope to see you tomorrow!

Best,

Chuck