NCPSO/CWA News Media Seminar a Huge Success

February 4, 2005

Seminar attendees during problem breakout session

NCPSO/CWA's latest professional issues seminar was held in Orlando, Florida on June 3rd and 4th. The seminar – "Taming the News Media Beast," provided law enforcement labor and management representatives with ideas on how to deal with the media, including message development, conducting new conferences, and crisis communications. Seminar speakers included 2 noted political consultants – Jim Spearing and Michael Shannon, newspaper writer Cissy Taylor, and Ron DeLord, President of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas.

One of the unique features of this seminar was the use of breakout team problems, where attendees participated in realistic media simulations. The attendees had the opportunity to act as both news media representatives and news conference presenters in an effort to show them how an actual media event takes place.

There were numerous CWA Executive Board members who attended the seminar and were able to see first hand how these NCPSO/CWA seminars operate. Amone the Executive Board members were CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling; District 3 Vice President James Smith; District 4 Vice President Jeff Rechenbach; and Public Workers Vice President Brooks Sunkett. There were attendees from all over the country, including Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Minnesota, West Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New York.

"NCPSO/CWA intends to offer these kinds of high-quality training programs on a regular basis," NCPSO/CWA Director John Burpo said. "We are getting a great response from seminar attendees, who find the information not only very interesting, but beneficial as well." Burpo noted that next year's seminar plans would be announced in the end-of-year edition of The Public Safety Officer.

Following the seminar, NCPSO/CWA held its annual leadership meeting at which issues such as political endorsements and legislative activities were discussed. Following the meeting, the Executive Committee moved Monty Holden, L-9111 from the position of Secretary to Treasurer; and pursuant to the NCPSO/CWA by-laws, appointed Steve Harvey, President of L-7911, as the new Secretary for the remainder of the term.