Thomas Lemmer will once again be presenting at the Midwest Security & Police Conference/Expo (MSPCE). MSPCE 2026 will be held on 13 and 14 August 2026, at the Tinley Park Convention Center, in Tinley Park, Illinois. Lemmer will be presenting his newest policing excellence course on 13 August from 10:45 am to 12:15 pm. His session is entitled, Does Your Badge Mean Anything – Being Proactive is Essential. The training provides a return to clarity on a key foundation to primary patrol. The annual two-day MSPCE event is hosted by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. The event’s comprehensive training conference is accredited by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. As always, the expo will showcase the latest industry products and services from more than 120 vendor exhibitors.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Being Proactive is Essential
If every person always obeyed the law, the police profession would not be necessary. And if the mere presence of a police officer resolved all violations, officers would never need to initiate force and they would not themselves suffer physical attacks. But this is not the reality. There are dangers, and addressing lawlessness always falls squarely on the shoulders of someone wearing a badge. Being proactive is an essential mindset for the police officer on patrol.
Fans of classic television will remember the character Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts) from the Andy Griffith Show. The situation in this 1960s sit-com was small town life in Mayberry, North Carolina, as seen through the eyes of Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith). The comedic portrayal of Deputy Fife, who usually has few crimes to solve, is often critical, as “Fearless Fife” does have fears. But Deputy Fife also has a passion for his profession. The potrayal also provides an opportunity for clarity on what everyone who wears a badge must be prepared to do. Being responsible to enforce the law is not a joke.
How officers see their role and how they carry themselves matters. Police leaders at the supervisory excellence level. They build an agency environment of courage that enhances the ability of officers to meet the challenges of their mission within a framework of constitutional policing.
The 90-minute MSPCE session will be held in North Pavilion 6 at 10:45 am on Thursday, 13 August 2026. Learn more about this topic here.
More on MSPCE
The exhibition is described as “a true superstore of security and law enforcement goods & services.” The education and training conference “presents a broad mix of expertise from local, state and national agencies, private security professionals, together with authors, educators and other experts in security and law enforcement.”
MSPCE is not open to the public and is presented by and intended for professionals. Registration for all law enforcement and security personnel is completely free.
Registration is required, but is still open. Go here now to register.
This is an excellent professional development opportunity. It is also an opportunity for police executives to sample our training. that can be brought directly to their agency’s personnel.
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