The Cygnus Law Enforcement Group recently announced the launch of Officer World, a two-day exhibit and education event, is planned to become a standard component of Police Week beginning in May 2012. To answer several of the frequently asked questions and shed more light on the upcoming free training and expo event—scheduled to take place May 12 to 13 in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on Pennsylvania Avenue—two of the event’s planners talk with LET to share exclusive details. (Editor’s note: Cygnus Business Media is the parent company of both Officer World Expo and Law Enforcement Technology.)
LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY: This event is the first of its kind, as far as its location and its partnership in combination with National Police Week. What are some of the unique aspects at work?
LAW ENFORCEMENT GROUP BRAND DIRECTOR PATRICK BERNARDO: The launch of this event is the culmination of our long standing relationship with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF). We've been a partner to the memorial in streaming the vigil at Police Week for the last three years. When we approached the memorial with the concept, they were naturally concerned that any event be consistent with the intention and emotion of Police Week. Their confidence in us, and our track record of respecting the sanctity of Police Week, is really what allowed this to happen.
LET: Some might say the law enforcement event landscape is pretty busy. What need does this new offering address?
PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR OF EVENTS ED NICHOLS: I agree; the last thing that law enforcement needs is another event. What we've set out to do isn't launch just another event, but rather to develop a component to Police Week that addresses how we prevent line-of-duty deaths, which is one of the chief reasons people come to Police Week.
We share the same mindset as many individuals in law enforcement, as well as the team at the Memorial Fund: that one line-of-duty death is too many.
Departments are facing deep budget cuts across the country and we see the opportunity to present the training that has been cut from those departments—the training that will save lives—so that we can begin coming to Police Week mourning fewer and fewer people each year.
PB: I couldn't agree more. This isn't another event; we want to give back to the law enforcement community so each officer goes home safely every night.
LET: What can attendees expect from Officer World? For example, what will the event look like?
EN: We'll open the event the morning of the Candlelight Vigil, which is Sunday, May 13, 2012. The education portion and exhibits will open at noon on Sunday. We'll break at 5 p.m. that afternoon and there will be transportation over to the Vigil, which is just a few blocks away in Judiciary Square. There will be transportation for attendees after the Candlelight Vigil ceremony. The education and exhibits at Officer World will pick up again Monday morning.
PB: There will be a lot going on for us at Police Week. We will still be streaming the vigil ceremony for Officer.com viewers in partnership with the memorial. We're also working with a cable TV network to broadcast the vigil live via television for 2012, in addition to the free online broadcast through Officer.com.