National Tactical Officers Association

National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA)

WHAT: National Tactical Officers Association Conference including “general session, vendor show, a variety of seminars and practical tracks”

WHERE: Milwaukee, WI. Last year was in Phoenix, AZ (Sheraton Grand Pheonix)

WHEN: Annually in Fall. In 2018: September 16-21

WHO: Police officers with “specialties that include patrol, TEMS, crisis negotiations, canine, corrections, sniper, protective operations, explosives, command, tactical dispatchers, behavioral sciences and more”, “from all corners of the U.S., Canada and other parts of the world.” Check this for a full list of which companies are vending.

WHAT THEY SAY IT IS: Networking and information-sharing [gathering] among tactical teams

FOR INFO ON THE STOP NTOA 2016 CAMPAIGN, CHECK THIS OUT!

NTOA IN-DEPTH:
The National Tactical Officers Association annual conference, and trade show, it’s 34th, will be September 24-29 this year and held in Pheonix, Arizona. The NTOA claims to have “more than 40,000” members from “specialties that include patrol, TEMS, crisis negotiations, canine, corrections, sniper, protective operations, explosives, command, tactical dispatchers, behavioral sciences and more.” Their aim is to “to improve public safety and domestic security through training, education and tactical excellence” and “for networking and information-sharing among tactical teams.”

Their 2015 conference in Salt Lake City, Utah drew “police officers from all corners of the U.S., Canada and other parts of the world” and featured “a general session, vendor show, a variety of seminars and practical tracks, SWAT Call-Out Dinners, a 5K Run and Welcome BBQ, a special event with Ron McCarthy and the highly anticipated annual Awards Banquet which honors outstanding officers and organizations.”

The exhibit hall housed “more than 200 top-notch vendors featuring the latest in law enforcement technology and equipment, including apparel, body armor / personal protection, communications, firearms and ammunition, fitness equipment, footwear, nylon gear, surveillance / electronics, TEMS Gear, training equipment, vehicles and WMD.”

From a write up of of the 2015 conference by ‘Ammoland’: Modern issues demand modern responses, and new seminar-based courses led by experienced LE leaders will explore challenges faced in this post-Ferguson time, including ethics, command issues and suicidal subject incidents. Attendees may choose from 16-, 24- and 32-hour practical tracks, including HRT, Armored Rescue Vehicle, SWAT Commander II, and new this year, Passenger Rail Tactics Training. A variety of four-hour seminars will address topics such as Contemporary Command Issues, Ethical Leadership and Crisis Decision-Making.

This year features "An evening with Ron McCarthy", a former LAPD Metro officer and LAPD SWAT officer known as a "living legend of SWAT" who participated in almost every major SWAT raid in LA for forty years. Toted as having "lived the past and can discuss the future of SWAT—from the Black Panther party to Mumbai", write ups on Ron McCarthy can be read here and here.