A Visit to the 2017 Texas Police Association Conference

The Texas Police Association hosted their 118th Annual Training Conference last week. Rolando Barrientez, Aftermath’s Senior Manager of Law Enforcement Relations in TX and OK, represented the company. “This was a great conference to attend,” he reports. “Though it was smaller, it was very engaging for both officers and vendors. The staff was also very attentive.” Held in June each year, this year’s three day event was hosted at the Historic Menger Hotel in downtown San Antonio, Texas.

Visiting the Texas Police Association Conference

The Texas Police Association, organized in Fort Worth in 1895, is the oldest law enforcement organization in Texas. Members include officers from municipal police departments, sheriff’s departments, constable’s offices, the Department of Public Safety, federal agencies, and others. Like other police organizations, the TPA is “dedicated to improving the police profession.” They also host amazing conferences!

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the conference is that the TPA includes vendors and officer’s families in group activities; this year’s events included a ghost tour, plus hospitality rooms, meals, silent auction, and banquets. Says Rolando: “This conference gave us the chance to not only reach our audience, but to also speak with officers who we don’t normally get to see or meet.” One benefit, he pointed out, is that the conference moves each year. “Texas is a large state. This gives officers in remote areas an equal chance to participate.”

Life at the Conference

The format of the conference focused on training and workshops, with credit available for continuing education. The relaxed schedule allowed officers time between events to visit with vendors during exhibit hall hours. Other vendors in attendance included American Income Life, several law enforcement uniform manufacturing and police vehicle dealers, recruiters, NMS Labs, Proforce Law Enforcement, U.S. Gun Totes, and US Law Shield.

At the booth, Rolando gave out padded note pads, air fresher, water bottles, carabiners, hand sanitizer and pens. Trooper Champion of the Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol won a PPE kit and tactical bag. In addition to the great prizes and giveaways, many officers had questions about our services, which Rolando gladly answered. “Common questions addressed how families hear about our services and how best to reach us. Officers also wanted to know how payment worked and whether we work with Texas Crime Victim Compensation. They were happy to hear that we service the entire state of Texas with 5 teams ready to deploy to assist the families as well as provide a no obligation cost estimate.”

…And Beyond

Outside the conference hall, there were plenty of networking and social opportunities for TPA members and their guests. The organization hosted an Afternoon golf tournament at The Republic Golf Course, and there were several hosted dinners and a well-attended banquet. This year’s Guest Speaker was Susan Pamerleau, USAF Maj. Gen (Ret.), former Bexar County Sheriff, and the first female elected sheriff of Bexar County.

Evening entertainment was provided by Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours. The hotel’s excellent location, just two blocks from the San Antonio River walk, provided additional extracurricular and dining options.

Conference Success

The Texas Police Association was a great success for Aftermath. Rolando was able to share information on the importance of biohazard cleanup with officers from all over the state. But as with many events, the highlight of the show was getting to hear stories directly from the officers themselves; stories about their careers, their communities, and about the families they meet.

Starting June 15th, we’ll be looking to reward officers for sharing these experiences with us during our #WhyWeServe campaign! If you’re a law enforcement officer or medical examiner in CO, IN, MI, MN, OH, or WI, we want to hear from you! Stay tuned for more details or bookmark and visit our website today.