Wow!  Where has the summer gone? It’s been about four months since I took over from Chief Mark Daniel. Since then, we’ve been busy setting up committees and identifying chairs for those committees. As many of you know, we have launched a new committee.

I have spent a portion of the summer getting our Wellness Committee off the ground, and I am excited about what we can achieve together. I also had the opportunity to attend the Southern Oregon Chiefs and Sheriffs meeting—thank you, Chief Rash, for the invitation. Additionally, I was honored to represent all of you at the retirement of Chief Tom Simpson from Dallas, and I would like to welcome Chief Jerry Mott.  I look forward to visiting other regional meetings. Feel free to send me an invite.

As we close out summer and look toward the fall season, I am reminded that we just celebrated Labor Day this past Monday. I hope you all took the time to thank those within your ranks who had to work during the Labor Day holiday. This is an important holiday to recognize, as it celebrates the women and men who fought diligently for workers’ rights during the labor movement of the late 19th century. Their hard-won victories are the reason we enjoy many of the rights we have today, such as safe working conditions, paid time off, and sick leave. This holiday celebrates the strength of our great nation - the working class - especially our public safety employees who go to work no matter the circumstances. Thank you, with deep respect, for all that you do for the communities you serve.

I want to remind everyone within OACP to be sure to register for the upcoming Fall Conference, which will be held at DPSST on September 24 and 25th. There is still time to register, and our Education and Training Committee has worked hard to bring in speakers who will present timely and relevant information. Additionally, if you haven’t yet booked your trip to the 2025 IACP Conference in Denver, I encourage you to consider it.  I know the staff is thinking creatively about ways to gather the Oregon delegation for fun group outing.

Lastly, I want to thank those who have stepped up when opportunities have arisen to take on a larger role in some of the commissions and committees we belong to. It’s never easy to carve out additional time for another event, but to everyone who has answered the call when needed, thank you very much.

From sunrise launches to colorful displays across the sky, the Northwest Art and Air Festival in Albany showcased the breathtaking beauty and sheer size of hot air balloons. This annual tradition highlights the city proudly represented by OACP President, Chief Marcia Harnden— and the inspiration behind our hot air balloon theme this year. Members of the OACP team were excited to join the celebration this year and share the below images: 

Meet the Medford Team

"Chart Your Course: Rise with Us at the Fall Conference"

Presentation Topic: "22 June - A Community Emergency Response Exercise & The Journey To Systematizing Security In Schools." 

Presentation Overview: Safety and security are core values in the Medford School District (MSD), and on June 22, 2023, MSD hosted one of the largest school emergency response exercises in the nation, involving over 450 participants and more than 30 agencies. The goal was to ensure that, in the face of a potential crisis, the district is not only prepared but proactive. MSD believes that community-level issues require community-level solutions, and this exercise brought that philosophy to life. Join us to hear the key lessons learned and how MSD is working to systematize safety and security districtwide.