The International Police Association is an independent body made up of members of the police service. The purpose of the IPA is to create bonds of friendship and to promote international co-operation.
About 30 officers from 10 countries came to the IPA conference. Countries that sent officers included Germany, Iceland, Kenya, Turkey, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The conference topic was active shooter safety, even though gun violence may not be prevalent in every country.
This year the IPA conference was sponsored by Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. St. Norbert College provided overnight accommodations in a residence hall for the visitors.
IPA Conference Training
The visiting officers received hands-on training in active shooting scenarios. The Green Bay police department led the training. Teams of training officers went through tactical scenarios in hallways and classrooms at West De Pere. They practiced walking in bunched formations down the halls with guns in hand, keeping their eyes peeled in front of or behind themselves. They practiced using a buddy system of movements to enter each room. This year’s conference also included fire investigations, response to bombing incidents, officer-down extractions, and ridealongs with local officers.
This type of active shooter safety training is so important all across the globe. An article from the Green Bay Gazette quoted De Pere police officer Joe Johnson, who coordinated the conference for the second year in a row, “It gives them low-cost training that they may not get at home.”
Watch the video from the article covering the event to learn more about the efforts of this year’s training. The schedule of events is listed here.