International law officers to address policing conference later this month

Major European and US law enforcement figures are to attend a conference on international policing, hosted by the Garda Association…

Major European and US law enforcement figures are to attend a conference on international policing, hosted by the Garda Association of Chief Superintendents, in Dublin later this month.

Speakers at the conference, entitled "The Challenge of Change", will include the director of the EU police liaison agency, Europol, Mr Jurgen Storbeck and Commissioner John F. Timoney, head of the Philadelphia Police. It will be directed towards people involved or interested in criminal justice, community affairs and commerce.

Announcing the conference, which takes place on September 27th in Malahide, Co Dublin, the Association of Chief Superintendents said it would cover topics such as diversity, privatisation and change management which can apply to any large organisation.

The association said: "The issue of policing impacts on all citizens to a greater or lesser degree and closely related to this is the principle of policing by consent.

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"It has been embodied in the civilian policing model advocated by the United Nations and this development owes much to the participation of the Garda Siochana in countries as diverse as Cambodia and Namibia. This concept is challenged by emerging issues of diversity and pluralism where traditional organisations are no longer dealing with homogenous cultural and political groupings.

"In these changing circumstances, the legitimacy and acceptability of police and policing structures are tested to the extreme and this interaction is taking place in the context of increased globalisation where organised criminals operate on an international basis."

The conference speakers will also include one of the most prominent figures in policing in Britain, Mr John Grieve, director of the UK's Racial and Violent Crime Task Force.

Ms Dianna Yach, an international consultant on equality and human rights issues, will also address the conference. Another visiting speaker will be Dr Mike Rowe, lecturer in policing at the Scarman Centre in the University of Leicester.

The head of the Garda's international liaison branch, Chief Supt John O'Brien, and Border crime expert Chief Supt Tom Monaghan will also address the conference, which will be opened by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue.