The second annual Police and Social Services Conference will look at how police and social services can work together to bridge divides in the community Sept. 28.
The conference is designed as an opportunity for law enforcement officers, law enforcement and social services experts and community stakeholders from throughout the Midwest to engage in a conversation about how to improve police/community relationships and build partnerships between police officers and social service providers to better serve the public.
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The conference theme “Bridging the Divide Through a Shared Identity: Making Everyone in the Community Count” focuses on community policing, strengthening community trust, the Community OutPost House and more.
The conference is 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Courtyard by Marriott, 404 W. St. Germain St., St. Cloud. It is put on by the St. Cloud State University Department of Social Work. It features keynote speakers Wm. Blair Anderson, St. Cloud police chief, and John Ruis, United Way of Central Minnesota CEO.
Anderson has been a licensed peace officer for 20 years. As chief of the St. Cloud Police Department he commands 108 sworn officers and 45 civilians and oversees a $17.5 million budget. He is also an adjunct professor at St. Cloud State University.
Ruis has been president and CEO of the United Way of Central Minnesota since October 2013. Prior to the role, Ruis served as a development officer at St. John’s University.
