ACPOS Annual Conference 2009

27-28 May 2009 Easterbrook Hall Dumfries

The Annual Conference of ACPOS will take place at the Easterbrook Hall in Dumfries on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 May 2009.

The ACPOS annual conference attracts Chief Constables, Deputy Chief Constables and Assistant Chief Constables from across the country as well as senior support staff. Representatives from Scottish Government and a variety of partner agencies are also invited to attend.

As in previous years the conference will discuss a wide range of topics of mutual interest including the challenges to modern policing and how the Scottish forces are responding, performance in partnership with other agencies as well as the programme of business change in Scottish policing which is being led by ACPOS.

The conference will be addressed by both John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth and Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice who will give the Scottish Government’s view on partnership working and Scottish policing in general.

The President of ACPOS, Chief Constable Patrick Shearer of Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, will open the conference.

He said: “It is a privilege to welcome colleagues and stakeholders to this year’s conference in Dumfries.

“The Easterbrook Hall is part of the Crichton Campus which grew out of the former hospital and which now boasts excellent educational facilities as well as meeting space which can be used for a wide variety of functions.

“I am confident that we will have a lively and productive conference and learn much from speakers and colleagues which we can all take away.”

IBM is delighted to be sponsoring the ACPOS annual conference in May 2009. IBM Scotland’s objective is to be a trusted partner for Scottish Police that, with its local presence and worldwide links to law enforcement, can pro-actively bring solutions to complex problems for the benefit of the police and the communities that they serve.

Reducing crime, protecting citizens and property, and providing security from new threats are significant challenges facing our law enforcement agencies across the globe. The demand on Police continues to focus on doing more with less, whilst there is an increase in demand for visible policing activities in our communities.

The way in which citizens perceive their safety has a direct impact on where they choose to live, work and play. In order to meet these challenges, police forces are investing in new infrastructures and emergency response strategies to address threats and respond effectively when situations arise. IBM is working with a growing number of law enforcement agencies to deliver innovative technologies, professional services and business transformation expertise.

These solutions can help law enforcement by turning disconnected data into actionable information.

IBM takes a strategic road mapping approach with forces to create a strong and growing understanding of projects and issues faced by the police and their supporting ICT departments. This ranges from large scale solutions, IT optimisation studies, technology projects with hardware and software requirements of all sizes, and ideas for substantial cost reductions.