The conference ended today on a bit of an escapist note. I ran out of there an hour and a half prior to the end.
I couldn't take anymore. I was with a state trooper friend of mine who, after suffering with me through a particularly tedious presentation, groaned. "This is torture."
That wasn't the case yesterday and the first part of this morning.
We had excellent presentations by law enforcement professionals on a variety of subjects. Detectives from various cities across New York State displayed a wide range of PowerPoint kung foo skills as they showed an audience of well over 300 people how analysis adds value to information, thus yielding actionable intelligence. This is used to not only solve crimes but also remove some of the underlying causes. Just as important are the examples of interagency collaboration that support these efforts.
Okay, so it doesn't set my pulse apounding either but after thirty-four years in the business I welcome anything that gives us an edge; and this stuff works. Unfortunately many departments never had the resources to develop this capability.
There are 62 counties in New York. The State offered assistance to seventeen counties (all outside New York City) to hire Field Intelligence Officers and Crime Analysts and to purchase computers, software and training. These seventeen counties were selected because together they account for 80% of all crimes committed outside of NYC.
This conference was a gathering to report on their progress and to provide an opportunity for networking and the development of professional and personal relationships that otherwise would not be established.
Everything was going swimmingly until late this morning when we ran into the Speaker From Hell. I endured fifty minutes of this torture before walking out for a breather. We then ate lunch and I left before my ears began to bleed afresh.
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