In public safety, we live by a simple rule: build trust long before a critical incident. You don’t exchange business cards in the middle of a crisis. And that principle is essential on a global scale, a concept which drove the mission behind the DC Liaison Officers Association’s 35th Anniversary celebration and inaugural Professional Development Day.
The UVA Center for Public Safety and Justice hosted the Professional Development Day at The Wharf in Washington. Together, we brought together law enforcement executives and attachés from state, federal and international levels. The goal of this convening: to strengthen the global public safety network by connecting people who will face future transnational threats.
Knowing your federal and global partners
Dr. Tracie L. Keesee of UVA moderated the opening panel; it featured Beata Trojanowska from the Polish Embassy, Karoline Preisser from the Austrian Embassy and the LOA’s own John Warren. Their discussion highlighted how different national perspectives can strengthen our collective response.
Every officer needs to know what resources are available when a local case suddenly goes global. Federal presentations provided direct looks at partner capabilities, with Kevin Polk (HSI), Mark Fredrick (DEA) and Eric Fox (ATF) leading sessions. Acting Director Daniel Vizzi reinforced the vital role INTERPOL Washington plays in ensuring global security and highlighted opportunities for partner collaboration.
Participants engaged in various shared activities and led roundtable discussions with student leaders from UVA’s National Criminal Justice Command College, who helped facilitate one breakout session. Ben Haiman, Executive Director for the Center for Public Safety and Justice, remarked that “time and time again, we see that many challenges in law enforcement are consistent across cultural and geopolitical boundaries.” Groups focused on topics such as recruitment and retention, port security operations and technology.
Shared challenges, international solutions
The sessions confirmed that challenges exist across borders. Sven Radke, senior liaison officer of the German Criminal Police Office (BKA), presented on police recruitment and retention: a topic every U.S. agency faces. From the U.K., Gill Beswick and Robert Harris of the National Crime Agency gave an overview of their criminal intelligence strategies to combat serious and organized crime and offered tactics that can be adapted worldwide. In addition, Lexipol’s own Gordon Graham delivered a keynote on leadership where he reinforced risk management and sound decision-making principles.
As the day concluded with a networking reception, the event’s true value became clear. This wasn’t just a meeting: it was an opportunity to deliberately cultivate both professional relationships through shared professional development as well as mutual understanding crucial for coordinated responses. Knowing who to call in Germany, the U.K. — or the dozens of other country participants — before you need them makes all the difference when the next threat appears.