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LEAPS El
Paso
Deputy Chief Ken Adcox
El Paso, Texas, the 19th largest city in the nation, the number one safest city in Texas, and the third safest in the nation.
What is going on in El Paso that makes it so safe? Well, good neighborhoods and good communication between the El Paso Police Department and the public. But in the middle of all this is LEAPS.
The mission of the Law Enforcement and Private Security Association is to promote the concept of crime prevention; to enhance communication; and to encourage joint cooperation between law enforcement agencies, corporate security and private security organizations to aid in the reduction and opportunity of crime within the city and county of El Paso.
From left to right: Chairman 2007 Aaron S. Fernandez,
Secretary Dora Meza, and Deputy Chief Ken Adcox.
The year 2006 ended with the election of a newly elected executive board for L.E.A.P.S. It consists of Chairman Aaron Jude Fernandez, incumbent and continuing as co-chair will be Deputy Chief Ken Adcox of the El Paso Police Department and Dora A. Meza will serve as secretary. With this newly elected board, LEAPS started the year 2007 with great aspirations, new ideas, additional participation from members, as well as, a rededication from the committee members.
Fernandez has worked with Securitas since 1996 as a field service manager and has a total of 12 years experience in private security. He started off as a security officer, went on to become field supervisor, scheduling manager and currently serves as field service manager. He also holds a license as a private investigator.
Meza was hired by Burns International Security in April of 1986. She has worked as a security officer, site supervisor, account manager, field service manager, operations manager and branch manager. When Securitas acquired Burns Security, Meza transferred over as a field service manager. She has held a license as a branch manager and qualified manager under the Texas Department of Public Safety in Security.
Adcox has been with the El Paso Police Department more than 19 years. He started as a patrolman and has worked his way up the ranks. Adcox also teaches a college course in criminal justice at the University of Texas at El Paso.
In January, LEAPS El Paso started off with new energy and new ideas have come together for the greater good in order to move LEAPS El Paso forward. Five committees of combined law enforcement and private security have been formed each with a goal:
Certification/Combined Training Committee � consists of an El Paso Community College Advanced Security Training Course which is a 40-hour advanced study course endorsed by the Law Enforcement and Private Security Committee here. The course focuses on current and critical issues in the El Paso area. This course expands the security officer�s knowledge in crime scene preservation and evidence handling, ethics and use of force issues, workplace and family violence, report writing and domestic terrorism. This program is under proposed change with the goal to make it more accessible to all Security officers, time and price-wise. Our second committee, Marketing, was formed with one goal in mind, to spread the word to all the communities in El Paso that a strong bond has been formed with law enforcement and private security in order to continue to make our city, the safest city in the U.S.
The third committee, Membership and Recognition Committee, has a very big role to play. The main goal is to expand LEAPS membership to include Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and surrounding small towns in El Paso County. This committee is also responsible for recognizing Police officers and Security officers that have gone above and beyond the call of duty in order to assist their fellowman. The men and women recognized receive a plaque, presented by El Paso Chief of Police Richard D. Wiles along with a photo, and they get to enjoy a great meal with their peers.
The fourth committee, Program Committee, is responsible for scheduling a variety of guest speakers, who provide information on a variety of topics, from El Paso�s new red light cameras to state laws and guidelines of what a security officer can and can�t do while in uniform. LEAPS meetings are held at the Camino Real Hotel. Lunch is provided free of charge to participants and members courtesy of Wiles. This abetment is what gives LEAPS a strong foundation for open communication between law enforcement and private security.
Last, but not least, is the fifth committee, the Conference Committee. This committee is striving to have our first ever LEAPS El Paso Conference. This is a monumental undertaking, which has sparked a new excitement into our local chapter. To undertake something new is scary, but rewarding. The goal of the conference is to have, not only all local participants, but surrounding state/countries� police departments, join and share new technologies, processes, and information-sharing systems in order to better keep our citizens safe. These five committees are committed to making a difference in their communities, and that is what makes LEAPS El Paso shine. Law enforcement and private security co-existing in harmony.
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