3rd Annual
Safety Of Our Cities
Conference 2025
Save the Date
August 27 - 29, 2025
Hotel Albuquerque
800 Rio Grande Blvd NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
Public safety has evolved, and relying solely on traditional law enforcement is outdated. The Safety of Our Cities Conference explores the transformation of policing, highlighting innovative strategies, technology-driven solutions for restoring balance and security. It stresses the need for collaboration between law enforcement, technology experts, and communities to drive engagement and create more effective, equitable safety strategies. Embracing new tools and approaches are key to lasting change.
A message from the Chief
On behalf of the Albuquerque Police Department and Chief Harold Medina, we are honored to announce The One Albuquerque Fund in partnership with APD will be hosting the 3rd Annual Safety of Our Cities Conference, which will take place from August 27 to 29, 2025. This year marks the first time the conference will be held in the United States, and we are excited to be the host city.
Building upon the success of the inaugural meeting in Edmonton and last year’s gathering, hosted by Peel Regional Police, we continue to advance the conversation around community safety and well-being.
The conference will bring together law enforcement agencies and multi-sector stakeholders to collaborate and explore innovative solutions to the root causes of the challenges faced by cities. By working together, we can create safer, more resilient communities.
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We all share a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the communities we serve, work in, and live in.
We look forward to welcoming you to Albuquerque for this vital conference.
Harold Medina
Chief, Albuquerque Police, Albuquerque, NM, USA
In Partnership
Thank you to our sponsors
CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
Wednesday, August 27th, 2025
8:00 a.m. : Breakfast & Registration
9:00 a.m. : Opening Ceremony
9:30 a.m. : Retired Chiefs Roundtable and Q & A
10:45 a.m. : Break
11:00 a.m. : Sandia National Labs; Camera Placement Model
12:00 p.m. : Lunch
1:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. : Return from Lunch Break
1:30 p.m. : Peel Regional Police; Modernizing Service Delivery Through Multi-Pronged Approach to Alternative Response
2:30 p.m. : Break
2:45 p.m. : Duologue Systems; An AI-Driven Support for Community Reintegration
3:45 p.m. : Break
4:00 p.m. : APD Real Time Crime Center; Reaching New Heights: How Drones Are Redefining the Limits for First Responders
5:00 p.m. : Closing Remarks
SPEAKERS
More speakers coming soon
2025 Chief's Round Table​​
Chief Stacey Graves
Chief Stacey Graves- Kansas City Police Department
Chief Stacey Graves, a lifelong Kansas Citian, began her career at KCPD in 1997 as a civilian records clerk. After joining the police academy in December of 1997, she held multiple assignments as a police officer including Central Patrol Division, East Patrol Division, the Drug Enforcement Unit and the Career Criminal Section. Graves was promoted to Sergeant in 2007. During her tenure as a Sergeant, she was assigned to Patrol, the Media Unit as a Public Information Officer and she was an Operations Sergeant in the Chief’s Office serving under Chief Darryl Forté. Promoted to Captain in 2014, Graves was assigned to Internal Affairs, returned to the Media Unit and Patrol. In 2018, she was promoted to Major. As Major, Graves was the Commander of Shoal Creek Division, Human Resources and served as the Executive Officer in the Patrol Bureau Office.
On December 15, 2022, twenty-five years after starting the police academy, Graves was selected to be the chief. At 48 years old, Graves became the 48th Police Chief in KCPD’s 148-year history also becoming the first woman as permanent chief.
Graves obtained her Associates Degree from Penn Valley. Graves went on to earn a B.A. in Administration of Justice from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and an Executive Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Leadership from Benedictine College.
Chief John Drake
Chief John Drake- Nashville Police Department
Chief of Police John Drake began his law enforcement career in his hometown of Nashville as a police officer in 1988 and continues to dedicate himself to the safety of Nashville’s families and visitors. Chief Drake celebrated his 36th anniversary with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department on March 16, 2024.
He was appointed Interim Chief in August 2020, and permanent Chief on November 30, 2020. Chief Drake quickly established three unwavering core pillars that guide the department daily: Organizational Excellence, Community Engagement, and Precision Policing.
Chief Drake’s police service started in the Patrol Division, before being assigned to the Vice Division’s Narcotics Unit to investigate mid to upper-level drug traffickers. From the Narcotics Unit, and with a passion to mentor youth, Chief Drake transferred to the Police Athletic League, where he began a basketball program for children. That program grew from 100 participants the first year to more than 1,300 participants in less than 5 years. Chief Drake also started a junior golf program which is now part of the First Tee initiative.
Chief Drake began seeking leadership roles in 2006, was promoted to sergeant in February 2007, and served as a patrol supervisor at the North Precinct. He next went to the Office of Professional Accountability, where he investigated internal allegations against both sworn and civilian police department employees. In 2010, following his promotion to lieutenant, Chief Drake was assigned to the Hermitage Precinct to lead its Investigations Unit, which handled cases ranging from homicide to misdemeanor theft. After four years as an investigative lieutenant, Chief Drake was promoted to captain (April 2014) and served as an overnight field supervisor for six months before being assigned to oversee the Domestic Violence Division as its first male captain. While there, Chief Drake helped start the lethality assessment program and detailed domestic violence supplements, which are still widely used today.
On September 1, 2015, Chief Drake was appointed commander of the Central Precinct, Nashville’s downtown business/entertainment district, which draws millions of tourist visits each year. On July 1, 2017, Chief Drake was appointed Deputy Chief over the newly created Support Services Bureau, which oversees SWAT, Special Events, Field Training Officers, School Resource Officers, Fleet Operations, Building Services, Parks, Warrants, Aviation and several other components within the police department.
In June 2020, Chief Drake was appointed Deputy Chief over the Community Services Bureau, which includes the department’s 8 precincts.
Chief Drake holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the College of Public Service at Bethel University. In August 2024, he was elected President of the Board of Directors for the Police Executive Research Forum, the nation’s preeminent independent research organization that focuses on critical issues in policing. He first joined PERF’s Board as secretary in September 2022. Chief Drake was selected 2023 Chief of the Year by the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police.
COMING SOON
Young Adult Court Diversion Program
Second Judicial District Court
Judge Cindy Leos ​​
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Judge Cindy Leos, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, has a diverse legal background, including civil defense in Chicago and Albuquerque, as well as experience as a Children’s Court Attorney for Child Protective Services. She served as a Felony Attorney for the New Mexico Office of the Public Defender before establishing her own criminal defense practice. Elected in 2016 to the criminal division of the Second Judicial District Court, Judge Leos also presides over the Young Adult Court diversion program, which she helped develop in 2017.
Superintendent
Keith Johnson
Inspector
Jared Hrycun
Operation Enlightenment
Edmonton Police Service
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Now in his 30th year with the Edmonton Police Service, Keith leads the Crime Suppression & Community Operations Division, overseeing community safety teams, transit policing, the encampment strategy, and several specialized units, including high-risk offender management, warrant apprehension, behavioral assessment, and street operations.
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On January 17, 2024, the Edmonton Police Service launched a coordinated effort with the City of Edmonton, Government of Alberta, and key partners to rapidly address encampments and connect vulnerable individuals to support services through the new Navigation & Support Centre.
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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Jared is a 20-year member of the Edmonton Police Service and has led the Crime Suppression Branch since November of 2023. He has direct oversight of the Encampment Response Team, as well as several other units which provide a proactive response to crime and disorder throughout Edmonton.
Previous to his current role, Jared spent the majority of his career in organized crime and drug enforcement. He also maintains an active role in the service’s Public Safety Unit, overseeing crowd management and civil disorder.
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This presentation will highlight the need for a full-systems approach, key successes, ongoing challenges, and the vital role of collaboration in delivering measurable, long-term solutions.
Duologue Systems
Founder
Shay Sharma
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Shay Sharma is a technology innovator with over 8 years of experience in product development, AI integration, and digital transformation. She is the founder of Duologue Systems and CEO of Bluejarvis Technologies, where she leads the creation of impactful, user-centric digital solutions for government, non-profits, and social enterprises. Shay holds a Bachelor’s in Engineering from the University of Alberta and specializes in stakeholder engagement, partnership development, and socially driven tech initiatives.
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Her notable projects include Ally, a mentorship platform for internationally trained physicians, and COLLAB., a civic engagement tool adopted by the City of Edmonton. She has also led AI model implementations for the Government of Alberta and BC Ferries. Committed to community impact, Shay supports the Indo Canadian Women’s Association and serves as Secretary on the board of Technology Alberta, contributing to the province’s growing tech ecosystem.
Albuquerque Community Safety​ (ACS)
Director
Jodie Esquibel
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Jodie Esquibel is the Director of Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS), where she leads innovative initiatives to address mental health crises, homelessness, and substance use. With nearly two decades of experience in emergency medicine and public service, Jodie has a deep commitment to making Albuquerque a safer community. She looks forward to sharing her expertise in community safety at the "Safety of Our Cities" conference.
Manager of
Community Safety & Well-Being
John Versluis
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Deputy Chief of Police
Mark Dapat
Superintendent
Feras Ismail
​Modernizing Service Delivery Through Multi-Pronged Approach to Alternative Response ​
Peel Regional Police
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John Versluis is the Manager of Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) at Peel Regional Police where he supports a range of strategic and operational initiatives to achieve the Service's CSWB goals and objectives. This includes strengthening partnerships, supporting alternative approaches to service delivery, and managing initiatives to improve service to priority populations.
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Prior to joining Peel Regional Police in 2021, John had a 17-year career in the municipal social and community services sector where he was responsible for human service planning and investment initiatives to strengthen the safety and well-being of communities. John holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Victoria.
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Deputy Chief Mark Dapat began his career with Peel Regional Police in 1997 and currently leads the Community Safety and Well-being Command. In this role, he oversees Recruiting, Training, Organizational Wellness, Community Engagement, and Community Mobilization for both sworn and civilian members.
He serves as co-chair of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police’s Community Safety and Crime Prevention Committee and represents Peel Regional Police on the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police’s Crime Prevention and Community Safety and Well-being Committee.
Deputy Chief Dapat is dedicated to championing progressive, innovative programs that best serve the community while prioritizing the wellness and resilience of police members.
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Superintendent Feras Ismail is a 24-year member of the Peel Regional Police (PRP) and has worked in various areas including Uniform Patrol, the Street Crime and Gang Units, the Intelligence Security Section, the Training Bureau, the Community Safety and Wellbeing Services area, and is now working in Divisional Operations Command.
A recognized counter-terrorism and hate crimes expert, his operational experience, coupled with his community engagement and crime prevention work, have enabled him to play a pivotal role in the development of various organizational policies and training programs designed to build internal capacity to prevent and respond to hate motivated crime and violent extremism. He has also supported the development of various units and initiatives within PRP’s Community Safety and Well Being Services area.
Supt. Ismail holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from McMaster University and a Master’s Degree in Leadership from the University of Guelph). He is a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) – Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Subcommittee, a member of the Canadian National Hate Crimes Task Force, and a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) – Policy Centre Advisory Group (PCAG).
GET IN TOUCH
The conference is bringing together some of the foremost experts in community safety and well-being inclusive of law enforcement and a wide range of community partners. Please fill out the form to stay connected and receive updates on speakers, workshop topics and the conference agenda.
