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Enforcement Expo has always received the support of highly respected law enforcement organizations and departments. This year is no exception. Enforcement Expo is moving to Columbus, Ohio, August 12 to 13, and with a new city and venue comes the support of leading local and regional organizations. While moving to Columbus, Enforcement Expo will continue to be the leading law enforcement show in the Great Lakes region, offering the opportunity for important training, education and exposure to the latest products and technology for law enforcement professionals.
"We are thrilled about the move to Columbus because it will give exhibitors a new marketplace, while continuing to give attendees the great educational experience we have always provided in the past," says Group Show Director Rob Brice.
Once again, Enforcement Expo has partnered with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) of Ohio. With a membership of over 25,000, the FOP of Ohio is the state's largest fraternal law enforcement organization, representing a substantial percentage of officers in Ohio and neighboring states.
In addition to the FOP of Ohio partnership, Enforcement Expo is supported by the Columbus Police Department, Buckeye Sheriffs Association, Ohio Office of the Attorney General, Ohio Department of Public Safety, Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center, Ohio Association of Public Safety Directors, Ohio Police Juvenile Officers Association, Franklin County Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Association, Ohio Tactical Officers Association, Ohio Women's Law Enforcement Network, and the Ohio Tactical Medicine Association.
"Enforcement Expo has quickly grown into one of the premier regional law enforcement events in the area." says Nick DiMarco, president of the FOP of Ohio. "We are excited to once again support this event in bringing together top law enforcement professionals in the region."
The Columbus Police Department, official host of this year's event, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in Columbus by enhancing public safety through community interaction. As in years past, the 2008 show will feature various hands-on training opportunities including live firearms demos and simulated tactical scenarios. Columbus PD supports these activities, making its state-of-the-art training facilities available during the conference. Enforcement Expo is proud to be supported by the department that works hard to keep the host city safe and its officers well trained and educated.
Continuing its active support is the Ohio Department of Public Safety, which includes past supporters such as Ohio Homeland Security and Ohio State Highway Patrol. The Ohio Department of Public Safety serves and protects Ohio residents through its six divisions including: Administration, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Medical Services, Investigative Unit and the Office of Criminal Justice Services.
Enforcement Expo 2008 will feature a top-notch showcase of the latest and best products and technologies for law enforcement professionals. Last year's exhibit floor hosted a variety of exciting law enforcement products and this year's show promises attendees the same. The 2008 conference program is designed to continue support of law enforcement professionals in their mission to keep communities safe.
Officer safety is the major theme of this year's conference. Last year's program focus on child safety was a timely topic, which included special keynote speaker Chris Hansen, host of Dateline NBC's To Catch a Predator. The 2008 conference continues its tradition of providing expert instructors and addressing timely, important topics in order to keep law enforcement professionals at the top of their field. For the second year, Ohio-based law enforcement professionals can receive continuing professional training (CPT) credit for their participation in Enforcement Expo courses. Conference courses are reviewed by the Ohio Attorney General's Office and when approved, qualify for CPTs. Attendees in qualified courses will receive certification, which they can then submit to their department for credit approval.
Enforcement Expo 2008 will showcase some of the past winners and finalists of Cygnus Law Enforcement Group's Innovation Awards. The 2007 Innovation Awards had winners in categories that included communications, computers, corrections, firearm accessories, hazmat/WMD, security, surveillance, traffic enforcement, uniforms and body armor, vehicles, software, tactical, training, vehicle accessories, firearms accessories, forensics and less-lethal.
The 2007 winners were announced in a special banquet held in entrants' honor. Top award for the 2007 communications category was EHS Inc., which won for its data acquisition system, VIDMIC. Trimble won the computers category with its Recon X-Seres handheld computer. Winning for the corrections category was Omnilink Systems with its monitoring device, FocalPoint. U.S. Tactical Supply won in the firearms accessories category with the vertical fore-grip system, Grip Pod. Winning in the hazmat/WMD category was Morphix Technologies' Chameleon Clan-Meth Lab Detection Kit. Mustang Survival won in the security category with its rapid inflation rescue device, Rescue Stick. Winning the surveillance category was Camero with its Through-Wall Vision system, Xaver 800. In the traffic enforcement category, Phoenix International and MagnumSpike won jointly with the MagnumClaw!, their tire-deflating and high-speed chase prevention tool. Winning the uniforms and body armor category was Point Blank Body Armor with its Rapid Deployment Armor Bag. Topping the vehicles category, T3 Motion won for its T3 Series, a three-wheeled standup electric personal mobility vehicle. Winning for the software category was SpeechGear Inc. for its translating device, Compadre Instant Translation Suite. The tactical category winner was Ultra Vision for its portable motion detection system, MicroDetector. The training category honored Advanced Interactive Systems with the win for its pre-engineered, prefabricated shooting range, QuickRange. The vehicle accessories joint winners were Protective Products International and Ford Motor Co. for its Covert Ballistic Door Panels. Winning in the firearms category was Smith & Wesson with its M&P .40 pistol. In the forensics category, SubRosaSoft won with its forensics tool, the MacLock Pick, used for extracting passwords, Internet history and system settings. And finally, winning the less-lethal category was TASER International with Taser Cam, its video recording device that captures any activation of the Taser X26.
Now in its fourth year, Enforcement Expo knows how to best serve the law enforcement community by providing up-to-date educational information; a showcase filled with innovative, new products; and the opportunity to provide active training. Those behind Enforcement Expo are excited about the opportunity to work with the public safety community this year in Columbus.
Visit www.enforcementexpo.com for further information and updates on Enforcement Expo 2008.
author: By Carrie Dunn