SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A cross section of interested parties involved in police safety and smart gun technology are sponsoring a unique gathering this summer entitled “The Law Enforcement and Smart Guns Symposium”. The event seeks to clear some of the fog surrounding the issue and to create a positive, non-political, informational dialogue aimed at ascertaining the true benefits of smart gun technology for law enforcement. According to Montgomery, MD Commander Mark Plazinski who plans to attend: “Police work as we all now it is extremely dangerous and we owe it to all the men and women in blue to determine both the reliability and true merits of smart gun technology to reduce the danger from ‘gun grabs’, and lost or stolen guns.”
The event features a 10am morning press conference and a three hour luncheon symposium including keynote presentations along with an all-star panel. Former Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Gil Kerlikowske will be one of the keynote presenters. Kerlikowske’s long and distinguished career includes two stints as President of Major City Chiefs, nine years as Seattle Police Chief as well as former President of the Police Executive Research Forum. He will discuss the need for law enforcement to continue to explore technology that keeps officers safe.
Another keynote presenter is legendary German gunsmith and former Heckler and Koch chief designer Ernst Mauch. Mr. Mauch was the first foreign-born winner of the Chinn Award, an annual prize from the National Defense Industrial Association honoring achievement in small-arms weaponry. His presentation will directly address reliability and testing issues around smart guns.
Gareth Glaser, from Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative will head an all star panel including the two keynote presenters and former Director of Everytown for Gun Safety, Mark Glaze, as well Mark Plazinski of the Major City Chiefs Association.
Leading gun rights groups including the NRA and The Second Amendment Foundation have given their official blessing to smart gun technology so long as they are not mandated and can be proven reliable. However a number of issues still remain outstanding, including what are the best technologies to be utilized, what are the tangible benefits for law enforcement and what it will take for field officers to buy in to using smart guns.
The DC Law Enforcement and Smart Gun Symposium will run from 11am to 2:00pm at the Henley Park Hotel on August 3rd in downtown Washington DC. There will be a press conference preceding the event at 10am where the results of a new survey on the dangers of police work will be presented. Attendance is free to interested stakeholders who RSVP ahead of the event at Ralph@resonance-pr.com.