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

The SMILE Conference(TM) to Be Held January 10-12, 2011


SANTA MONICA, CA--(Marketwire - December 14, 2010) - On January 10-12, 2011, Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) will host the second Social Media the Internet and Law Enforcement (SMILE) Conference at the RAND Center in Santa Monica to discuss the use of social media to improve law enforcement, community engagement and crime prevention.

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 response tactics relating to such hot button issues as cyberbullying, cyber safety, privacy, employment issues and more.

"SMPD is hosting the SMILE Conference to help law enforcement better understand the benefits and challenges that social media offers to law enforcement," said Tim Jackman, SMPD Chief of Police and SMILE Conference key speaker. "Social media is important to law enforcement for many reasons. The issues range from investigating criminal activity to management/labor issues and marketing of the agency to public relations."

"The SMILE Conference is honored to have the Santa Monica Police Department as the host of this event," said Lauri Stevens, LAwS Communications event producer and creator of the SMILE Conference. "Chief Jackman is keenly aware of the importance of social media to law enforcement as evidenced by his department's educational cyberbullying DVD Send or Delete -- and it is no surprise that here again he is taking the lead to bring awareness and credibility to critical issues impacting police departments nationwide."

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. 

Highlighted speakers include:

  • Tim Jackman, Chief of Police, Santa Monica Police Department
  • Tom LeVeque, Sergeant, Arcadia Police Department 
  • Christopher Duque, Detective, Honolulu Police Department (retired)
  • Scott Mills, Constable and Social Media Officer, Toronto Police Service
  • Mike Bostic, Raytheon Civil Communications Solutions Group, former Deputy Chief, Los Angeles Police Department
  • Mike Alderson, Principal, Open Eye Communications

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

A town hall meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 11, 2011, from 6:30 to 8:00 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.

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 registration, venue and hotel, please visit us at http://www.TheSMILEConference.com.

Twitter: @SMILEConference or the hashtag #smilecon

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheSMILEConference 

Contact Information:

Conference Contact:
Lauri Stevens
LAwS Communications
978-764-9887