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2019 Governor’s Public Safety Summit
12th annual conference had a special focus on cold cases and school safety.
DPS hosted the 12th annual Governor’s Public Safety Summit on July 30th and 31st at the Davis Convention Center in Layton.
It was a record-breaking year for the summit, as it saw over 570 attendees for the first time. Commissioner Anderson delivered the conference’s opening remarks. He encouraged everyone to take advantage of the wide range of topics on which speakers at the conference would be presenting, and noted the two special focus areas of this year’s summit: cold cases and school safety, both of which are top priorities for DPS. In January, DPS launched a new cold case database and just recently hired a new school safety coordinator to oversee and manage the school resource officer program.
Commissioner Anderson told attendees that he hoped the conference would help them be better prepared in their roles as public servants.
Keynote Address: Dave Cawley of The Cold Podcast
Dave Cawley from the Cold Podcast delivered one of the keynote addresses. He spoke about the process of researching and producing the podcast and how as he delved deeper into the case, he knew that he had to share Susan Powell’s voice – as he put it, “give a voice to the vanished.” He shared that one goal of the podcast was to paint an accurate picture of the investigation and help the public understand what goes into a high profile case, including the legal and ethical challenges that law enforcement face.
Keynote Address: Assistant Commissioner Pritt, Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Assistant Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Jennifer Pritt presented information on the lessons learned from the Majory Stoneman Douglas school shooting in Florida in February 2018. Her presentation was simultaneously heartbreaking and incredibly informative. You can read the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Safety Commission Report, released January 2, 2019, here: fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/Commissi…
Keynote Address and Panel: Damien Patton, CEO of Banjo, Utah DTS Mike Hussey, UDOT Blaine Leonard
Artificial intelligence and how government can work with it to improve public safety were the topics covered by Banjo CEO Damien Patton, DTS’ Mike Hussey and UDOT’s Blaine Leonard.
Governor Herbert’s Remarks
In his remarks, Governor Herbert discussed the history of the creation of the Be Ready Utah program following Hurricane Katrina. He thanked all of the people who work toward keeping Utah safe on a daily basis.
Commissioner Anderson recognized Governor Herbert’s continuous support for public safety. At the end of the conference, he shared his vision of continuing to build partnerships and relationships within the public safety community.
A Wealth of Information
The summit featured 55 speakers, 44 different sessions and, in addition to the special focus on cold cases and school safety, covered topics including the following: the SAFE UT app, emergency and disaster response in rural areas, protecting your digital footprint, pedestrian safety enforcement, use of genetic genealogy for cold case investigations, the NIBN initiative, DPS helicopter capabilities, emergency management perspective of fire in Utah County in 2018, among many others.
We are grateful to the many speakers who shared their knowledge, expertise and time with us at this conference. And, as Commissioner Anderson noted in his closing remarks, we are grateful to the public safety professionals who made time to attend this conference.
Networking Opportunities
Since the Governor’s Public Safety Summit brings together public safety professionals from throughout the state, it presents a unique opportunity for networking. The summit brings individuals from law enforcement, fire, EMS, forensics, emergency management, intelligence, health, and transportation together and helps establish vital lines of communication between all of these different but connected entities. Whether it’s learning about specialized equipment that one department has available as a resource, or connecting with a presenter who has detailed information about the use of genealogy in cold cases, the summit provides an ideal forum for public safety professionals in Utah to establish and strengthen relationships to more effectively work together to keep Utah safe.
May 19 and 20, 2020
Mark your calendars – next year’s summit will be held on May 19th and 20th in St. George. We hope to see you there!
Helicopter Hoist Demonstration
DPS Chief Pilot Luke Bowman presented information about the DPS helicopter’s capabilities and then performed a hoist demonstration in the parking lot of the Davis Conference Center.
— Utah Public Safety (@UtahDPS) July 30, 2019
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