KENTUCKY'S FINEST MAKE RARE JOINT APPEARANCES IN NKY

Contact: Alexandria Police Chief Michael Ward
(859) 635-4126 (w)
(859) 991-0666 (m)

Bellevue-Dayton Fire Public Info. Off., Joe Stambush
(859) 261-0083 (w)
(859) 760-2819 (m)

KENTUCKY'S FINEST MAKE RARE JOINT APPEARANCES IN NKY

Hebron, KY/July 30, 2008-Northern Kentucky may be the safest place to be in the Bluegrass State the first week in August as both the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police (KACP) and the Kentucky Firefighters Association (KFA) will have their annual conventions here at almost the same exact time.

More than 600 firefighters and family, led by KFA President and Campbell County Fire District #1 Chief John Daley, gather August 2-5 at the Drawbridge Inn in Fort Mitchell while the police chiefs are scheduled to meet in Hebron at the Cincinnati Airport Marriot August 3-7.

Two free events open to the public get the firefighters conference underway this weekend. On Saturday, August 2, the Firefighter Olympics happen from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. at Tom Braun Field at Villa Madonna Academy in Villa Hills. Departments from all over the state will gather to compete in competitions including ladder raising, hose evolutions and a dummy rescue.

On Sunday, August 3, the KFA Annual Fire Apparatus Parade starts at 2 p.m. at the Drawbridge, moves along Buttermilk Pike to Dixie Highway, through Covington and into Newport, ending at the Peace Bell at 4 p.m. A memorial service at the Bell runs from 4:15 to 5:30 honoring the memory of state firefighters killed in the line of duty.

Another highlight of the conference is the wrap-up Banquet and induction of the latest members in the KFA Hall of Fame. This happens Tuesday evening, August 5 from 7:30-9:30. Recipients this year include one former and one current Campbell County fire executives: Mike O'Day, Retired Assistant Chief and current Disaster Emergency Services Director Ken Knipper.

More than 150 chief of police are expected for KACP, according to Alexandria Police Chief Mike Ward, who takes over at the end of the conference as KACP President for the coming year. KACP is composed of more than 300 law enforcement leaders representing villages, cities and counties and statewide and federal agencies.

Ward says the chiefs use the conference to exchange ideas and learn about tools that help their forces individually and collectively.

"Recruitment and retention of officers is a major issue for particularly smaller forces. We see larger agencies poaching officers from smaller ones all the time. Some of the smaller towns have recently started having their younger officers who are going through the training academies sign contracts where they pledge to stay on at least two years after that training is completed. This helps the smaller municipalities recoup the costs of sending these officers to school."

Conference attendees will be getting a taste of Scotland Yard when Neil Henson of the London, England Metropolitan Police Service addresses the top of Community Policing. This is more than the practice of having officers walk a neighborhood beat. Henson addresses a comprehensive approach to working with social service agencies and people who run afoul with the law so that offenders get the treatment needed to become productive members of society. Henson will speak August 5 & 6 to the group of 150 anticipated.

Ward says another issue police agencies are paying attention to is accreditation. Accreditation through the Association began at the turn of the century. Only three sheriff's departments of the more than 120 in the Commonwealth are accredited. Nearby Pendleton County is becoming the fourth at the conference. The three others are Boone, Kenton and Jefferson Counties. In addition to enhanced training, which theoretically improves the quality of the force, the Kentucky League of Cities offers highly reduced liability insurance rates for communities whose police forces are accredited.

The mission of the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau is that of an aggressive sales, marketing, service and informational organization whose primary responsibility is to positively impact the Northern Kentucky economy through conventions, meetings and visitor expenditures. The direct economic impact of visitors' spending in Campbell, Kenton and Boone Counties in 2007 was $325 million.