Conference Program/Sessions

Don’t know where to start?  Don’t know what you need?  This class breaks down how we started, what funds were spent and where the funds came from, how we got buy in from our city council and how we get buy in from the public. We will walk through every step of the process from start to finish and show you the impact we have had on crime in Nampa. 

Developing a TAK Program session, held on Monday, August 24, 2026, provides a practical introduction to building and implementing a Tactical Awareness Kit (TAK) program within your agency. Hosted at a designated conference hotel, this course runs from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, beginning with registration and a light breakfast from 8:00 to 9:00 AM. Led by a presenter from Samsung, a valued partner of the association, this session highlights the importance of strong industry collaboration, and we sincerely thank Samsung for sharing their expertise and resources. Attendees will explore the foundations of TAK, including system setup, integration with real-time operations, and strategies for deployment across teams to enhance situational awareness and coordination. A provided lunch allows for networking and collaboration, with the session concluding at 3:00 PM. Priced at $100 per student, this class offers valuable insight for agencies looking to expand their real-time technology capabilities.

Instructor Info:

Amos Halava has dedicated his career to advancing technology in public safety, serving as a law enforcement officer with the Carter County, TN Sheriff’s Office since 2003 and as a firefighter with the Hampton Volunteer Fire Department since 2000. Since 2019, Amos has been a leading advocate for the adoption of the Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) platform across Upper East Tennessee. Under his leadership, the region has deployed a comprehensive TAK server supporting law enforcement, fire, and emergency response agencies. By integrating data feeds from aircraft, 911 centers, officer locations, video surveillance, and drones, he has provided unparalleled situational awareness tools to first responders. This robust system has empowered agencies to operate collaboratively, improving response times and safety across complex incidents.

In his current role as Business Development Manager for Public Sector at Samsung Electronics America, Amos continues to bridge cutting-edge technology with public safety operations. Drawing on over two decades of field experience, he champions solutions that equip officers and firefighters with advanced capabilities in the field. His work with TAK has positioned Upper East Tennessee as a model for regional interoperability, demonstrating how modern tools can transform public safety operations and enhance mission-critical decision-making.

Join an interactive roundtable discussion on accountability in the Real Time Crime Center environment. This session will explore how RTCCs support transparency, operational oversight, policy compliance, and public trust while balancing the needs of law enforcement and the communities they serve. Attendees are encouraged to share experiences, discuss challenges, and exchange best practices with a panel of RTCC and public safety professionals.

Privacy is but one of many civil liberties. This presentation explores how DFR can protect civil liberties, not degrade them, through its impact on officer involved shootings (OIS) and uses of force. It features a case study of an OIS that occurred during a DFR mission, covering the circumstances that led up to the incident, what happened during the incident, and how DFR changed the way the investigation was handled. Graphic content: viewer discretion advised.

Build a Camera Class & Point to Point session, held on Monday, August 24, 2026, is a hands-on preconference course designed for attendees looking to develop practical, field-ready skills in camera deployment and connectivity. Hosted at a designated conference hotel, the training runs from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with registration and a light breakfast from 8:00 to 9:00 AM. Led by experienced instructors, participants will learn how to build and configure cameras, set up point-to-point communication systems, and gain a clear understanding of the full installation process from planning to deployment. This course emphasizes real-world application, ensuring attendees leave with the knowledge needed to support and expand camera networks within their agencies. A provided lunch offers time for collaboration and networking, with the session concluding at 3:00 PM. With limited seats remaining, this class delivers high-value technical training at a cost of $100 per student.

As agencies deploy more connected devices and generate increasing amounts of data, many are now asking an important question: how can this information improve operational decision-making across an entire city?

Real Time Crime Centers have rapidly evolved from simple camera monitoring rooms into sophisticated intelligence hubs. These hubs now integrate video analytics, license plate recognition, drones, and other sensor technologies to help departments respond to, prevent, and prepare for incidents.

This session explores the next stage in the evolution of RTCC operations. Attendees will learn how advances in video analytics, metadata, and multi-sensor platforms enable real-time operational intelligence. It will also delve into emerging concepts such as digital twins, which can provide agencies with the ability to visualize, analyze, and simulate incidents before they occur.

Through practical examples and real-world scenarios, this presentation will demonstrate how RTCCs can move beyond traditional monitoring roles to support cross-department coordination, improve situational awareness, and lay the groundwork for the next generation of public safety operations.

• How to build and scale an RTCC using the resources you already have
• The realities of staffing models, workload, and coverage challenges
• Why capturing impact is critical and how to do it consistently
• How daily activity translates into measurable ROI
• Where technology, including drones and system integrations, fits into operations today

Simon is an unshakeable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together.

Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are, and end the day fulfilled by the work they do.

A trained ethnographer, Simon is fascinated by the people and organizations that make the greatest and longest-lasting impact. Over the years, he has discovered some remarkable patterns about how they think, act, and communicate, and also the environments in which people operate at their natural best.

Simon may be best known for his TED Talk on the concept of WHY, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace—which reached 80 million views in its first week and has gone on to be seen hundreds of millions of times.

He continues to share inspiration through his bestselling books, including global bestseller Start with WHY and New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game, as well as his podcast, A Bit of Optimism. In addition, Simon is the founder of The Optimism Company, a leadership learning and development company, and he publishes other inspiring thinkers and doers through his publishing partnership with Penguin Random House called Optimism Press.

His unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention, and he has met with a broad array of leaders and organizations in nearly every industry. He frequently works with different branches of the US Armed Forces and agencies of the US government, and is an adjunct staff member with the RAND Corporation—one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world.

Simon is also active in the arts and with not-for-profit work, or what he likes to call the for-impact sector. In 2021, he founded The Curve: a diverse group of forward-thinking chiefs and sheriffs committed to reform modern policing from the inside out. Their purpose is to build a profession dedicated to protecting the vulnerable from harm while advancing a vision of a world in which all people feel justice is administered with dignity, equity, and fairness.

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Training session, held on Monday, August 24, 2026, is a dynamic, hands-on preconference course designed to equip attendees with practical skills in leveraging publicly available data to support real-time operations and investigations. 

Hosted at a designated conference hotel, the training runs from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, beginning with registration and a light breakfast from 8:00 to 9:00 AM. This session will be instructed by the Othniel Group, bringing real-world expertise into the classroom. The course will focus on applying OSINT techniques to Real Time Operations, investigative workflows, and broader public safety applications, offering attendees actionable insights they can immediately implement. A provided lunch encourages collaboration and networking, with training concluding at 3:00 PM. With limited seating remaining, this session delivers high-impact training at an accessible cost of $100 per student.

Real-Time Crime Centers were built to turn scattered data into decisions when seconds count yet some of the richest, most under-used streams of crime intelligence are being generated by retailers. This session pairs LPRC science with the experience of Anchorage, Alaska, Redmond, CA, and Meijer to understand the opportunities to leverage retail crime data in real-time crime centers. 

We'll open with practical frameworks used by the LPRC, including the Five Zones of Influence, DIKI intelligence, and the Smart and Connected Communities models, that give RTCC leaders a shared language for retail crime. Then our practitioner panel will discuss tools, experience, and outcomes in generating and leveraging these streams of crime intelligence. 

This discussion will include identifying the small cohort of high-harm offenders, linking cases across jurisdictions, cutting evidence-gathering time, and having actionable intelligence on hand when retail crimes occur. Attendees leave with a concrete model for integrating retail crime intelligence into their operations. 

Built directly on feedback and operational insights from the National Real-Time Crime Center Association (NRTCCA) Drone as First Responder (DFR) Survey, this comprehensive course provides public safety leaders and RTCC operators with a practical, field-tested roadmap for building and scaling a DFR program.

This course addresses the real-world obstacles, regulatory hurdles, and operational gaps identified by peer agencies nationwide. Participants will examine the four critical phases of DFR implementation—Planning, Regulatory, Testing, and Launch—to ensure their agency moves from initial concept to live aerial dispatch safely, legally, and sustainably.

Instructor: Abrem Ayana and guest instructors from various agencies across the country with operational experience in DFR.

Route: Convention Center → Phoenix PD Citywide Real Time Center → Training Facility → Motorola → Return

Departure: 3:15 PM

Stop 1
Phoenix Police Department
Citywide Real Time Center
Address to be confirmed
3:45 PM to 4:45 PM

Stop 2
NRTCCA Training Facility
5:20 PM to 6:20 PM

Stop 3
Motorola Solutions

Formation Brewing

925 N 5th St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

7:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Return to Convention Center
Estimated Arrival: 8:30 PM

Formation Brewing

925 N 5th St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Route: Convention Center → Grand Canyon University PD Real Time Center → Training Facility → Verkada → Return

Departure: 3:15 PM

Stop 1
Grand Canyon University Police Department
Real Time Center
Address to be confirmed
3:45 PM to 4:45 PM

Stop 2
NRTCCA Training Facility
5:20 PM to 6:20 PM

Stop 3
Verkada
6:45 PM to 8:00 PM

Return to Convention Center
Estimated Arrival: 8:30 PM

Departure: 3:15 PM

Stop 1

Stop 2

Stop 3

Return to Convention Center
Estimated Arrival: 8:35 PM

Departure: 3:15 PM

Stop 1
Mesa PD
250 E. 1st Ave
Mesa AZ
3:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Stop 2
NRTCCA Training Facility
5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Return to Convention Center
Estimated Arrival: 9:00 PM