Houston's Two Leading Men of Law Enforcement to Bookend the First Day of SMILEcon

Both Gonzalez and Acevedo to keynote the 16th #SMILEcon

The upcoming SMILE (Social Media the Internet and Law Enforcement) Conference? will have the rare honor of featuring not one but two local law enforcement leaders to keynote - both on the first day. Houston has the fifth largest police department in the country and Harris County is the third largest sheriff's office in the nation. Both agencies are extremely fortunate to have a top executive who "gets it", and both gentlemen have stepped up to the plate to address the delegation at the SMILE Conference in May.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez will open the day with "Leading from the Front"

Social media offers leaders a unique opportunity to not just TELL the public about their agencies’ efforts to keep them safe, but to also SHOW them. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez uses Twitter to give the news media and his 20,000-plus followers a first-hand look at the many investigation scenes he inspects as part of his regular routine. Houston news reporters have grown accustomed to seeing Sheriff Gonzalez breaking news at all hours of the day on major car crashes, homicide investigations and other significant events. Harris County residents, meanwhile, frequently tweet directly to Sheriff Gonzalez to report neighborhood crime concerns, and they never wait long for a reply. Meanwhile, front-line deputies and other personnel frequently see their work highlighted on the sheriff’s social media accounts, providing a real morale boost. Sheriff Gonzalez will share tips on how others can employ his all-access social media strategy to build public confidence and improve employee relations.

Chief Art Acevedo will close the day with "When events are social: the Art of Leadership in a Crisis"

Great leadership is no accident. Houston’s Chief of Police has handled major weather events as well as downed officers. As the leader of one the nation’s largest police departments, Acevedo has been at the helm when Hurricane Harvey killed dozens and caused billions of dollars of damage in his city. Most recently five of his officers were shot while serving a drug-related search warrant. Ever steadfast, Acevedo has demonstrated how even in social crises, you don’t follow the crowd. You let the crowd follow you.

The Houston SMILE Conference? is the 16th #SMILEcon produced by LAwS Communications. The SMILE Conference is the leading provider of training, guidance and inspiration for police to operationalize the use of social media in community outreach, event management and investigations.

Come find out why! www.SMILEConference.com