The American Police Officers Alliance attended the National Sheriffs’ Association Winter Legislative & Technology Conference in Washington, D.C. Sheriffs from all fifty states were in attendance. Aside from two of the biggest topics, immigration and school safety, which were held in rooms where it was standing room only, there were other various different topics touched upon.
During the four day conference, seminars were held on financial threats to law enforcement & public safety, domestic violence and crime victim services, court security and civil processes, using open data and emerging technology to help law enforcement map Fentanyl supply chains, the international justice and public safety network, victimization of people with disabilities, current trends in identity document fraud, K9s legal issues, legal updates in today’s jails, legal affairs, critical roles in recruiting African-American law enforcement officers, language barriers: adhering to the requirements of Title VI, animal cruelty and abuse, who volunteers in policing and why, and cuber basics and resources for law enforcement executives.
One of the larger attended events during the conference was when approximately fifty sheriffs met in the lobby of the JW Marriott to march up onto Capitol Hill. They had written letter on behalf of the National Sheriffs’ Association to the Honorable Nita Lowery and Honorable Kay Granger regarding the opposition to Congress’ most recent deliberation to place an artificial cap on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention capacity. Capping the number of detention beds utilized by ICE not only jeopardizes the integrity of the immigration system, but would cripple ICE’s ability to detain criminal aliens and other aliens who pose a risk to public safety or are a flight risk.
The conference wrapped up with three different speaking engagements featuring the Honorable Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security, Honorable Matt Whitaker, Acting U.S. Attorney General, and Troy Vincent, Vice President Operations of the National Football League.
Congressman Mark Walker (R-North Carolina) talks with Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels (AZ) about the National Sheriffs’ Association letter regarding Congress’ most recent deliberation to place an artificial cap on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention capacity.
