Chicago Police Department to Host Social Media the Internet and Law Enforcement Conference

CHICAGO, IL, April 13, 2011 (Press-News.org) On May 9-11, 2011, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) will host the third Social Media the Internet and Law Enforcement (SMILE) Conference at Chicago Police Headquarters to discuss the use of social media to improve law enforcement, crime prevention and officer safety.

The SMILE Conference brings together a widely respected group of law enforcement professionals, public information officers and neighborhood watch members to help add another vital weapon to their arsenal- social media. Additionally, SMILE attendees will receive the latest information and methodology relating to such important issues as cyber bullying, cyber safety, privacy and officer safety.

"The Chicago Police Department is hosting the SMILE Conference to help our law enforcement partners build upon their skill set and enhance their expertise, by sharing best practices with peers," said Interim Superintendent Terry G. Hillard.

"Social media is becoming a crucial component in law enforcement investigations and outreach. The issues brought to the table by the SMILE Conference will play a vital role as law enforcement agencies worldwide commit to leverage the advantages of Social Media, and to learn of the risks of misuse," Hillard added.

"The SMILE Conference is honored to have the Chicago Police Department as the host of this third event," said Lauri Stevens, LAwS Communications event producer and creator of the SMILE Conference. "The Chicago Police Department's widely acknowledged reputation as one of the leaders in the technological revolution sweeping departments nationwide brings an added voice of experience that can only enhance an ever growing body of knowledge."

The key speaker lineup and international panel of experts will lead attendees through three days of in-depth social media and Internet education specific to the law enforcement professional. Lectures and sessions will cover topics such as community policing, recruitment and retention, investigative techniques, legal issues and reputation enhancement/management. The Focus of the second day of the conference is officer safety online, including use of Facebook, social engineering, mobile video and geolocation threats to officers' safety.


Highlighted speakers include:

- Christopher Duque, Detective, Honolulu Police Department (retired)
- Scott Mills, Constable and Social Media Officer, Toronto Police Service
- Gordon Scobbie, Deputy Chief Constable, Tayside, Scotland
- Michael Parker, Captain, Los Angeles County Sheriff
- Billy Grogan, Chief of Police, Dunwoody Police
- Frank Grgurina, Police Captain, Fremont Police
- Dave Marcus, Director of Security, McAfee
- Nick Selby, Police Officer and Security Analyst
- CJ Wren, Detective, Phoenix Police

For more information on the key speaker lineup and international panel of experts, please visit http://www.TheSMILEConference.com

Lexis Nexis Investigator's Network and Nixle will host lunch workshops on Monday, May 9 and Tuesday, May 10.

A town hall meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2011, from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. It will provide everyone with an opportunity to further explore and discuss at length issues concerning social media and law enforcement that could not be fully addressed during the plenary session. The town hall will be highly spirited, interactive and wrapped in a social media context.

Venue
The SMILE Conference will be held at Chicago Police Headquarters, 3510 South Michigan Avenue.

Event Lodging
The Sax Chicago Hotel is the official SMILEcon Hotel. To make a reservation, call 877.569.3742 and ask for The SMILE Conference group rate of $159 plus tax. Reservations must be received by April 25th to receive the group rate.
Complimentary Internet is offered to all for SMILErs.

About the SMILE Conference
The SMILE Conference will address social media as community media, investigative techniques and case studies, social media policy and strategy, legal issues, recruitment and retention. Training sessions will occur each morning and will be followed by three days of plenary sessions featuring how-to information, so you will leave with the hands-on skills you need. From the chief to the newest officer in your agency, the SMILE Conference is for anyone who is interested in social media and its many applications in the field of law enforcement.
For more information regarding agenda, registration, venue and hotel, please visit us at http://www.TheSMILEConference.com.
Twitter: @SMILEConference or the hashtag #smilecon
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheSMILEConference

Conference Contact:
Lauri Stevens
LAwS Communications
(978) 764-9887
lauri@lawscomm.net

CPD Contact:
Lt. Maureen C. Biggane
Chicago Police News Affairs
(312) 745-6110
Maureen.biggane@chicagopolice.org

PR Contact:
Alana Kiewiet
Public Communications Worldwide
(714) 891-3660
akiewiet@pc-w.com