PROGRAM DETAILS and RECORDING
Content provided from 10:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm Eastern was recorded and is accessible below.
9:00 AM
Guided tour of the Memorial with LE Specialist Stephen Troyano
9:15 AM
Check-in with coffee and refreshments
10:00 AM (Livestreamed)
Forum Foundations
- Welcome by NLEOMF CEO Bill Alexander
- Whelen Engineering Company presentation by Chris Watkins, Field Solutions Engineer
- Keynote Address by Peter Simshauser, Acting Administrator and Chief Counsel
- Award Presentation, John Marshall, Former Director, NHTSA Office of Special Program
11:00 AM (Livestreamed)
Getting Justice for Officers Killed on Our Nation’s Roadways:
A Case Study of a Double Fatal Hit and Run
Detective James Milligan of the Las Vegas MPD will take the audience through the 2023 deaths of two Nevada highway patrolmen who were struck and killed by an impaired hit-and-run driver. Detective Milligan will present his exhaustive investigation to ensure justice for the two slain patrolmen, as he and his team supported the Nevada Highway Patrol by stepping in and handling this horrific case.
Attendees will learn the importance of interagency cooperation, the role technology plays in fatal auto crashes, and the important evidence that needs to be gathered and preserved to ensure a successful prosecution.
12:00 PM
Lunch and Special Presentation:
Nick Breul, a Senior Program Manager at the NLEOMF will provide a brief overview of the current statistics related to line of duty deaths and injuries in law enforcement and discuss some of the emerging trends related to vehicle and struck-by crashes.
1:00 PM (Livestreamed)
Below 100, Dedicated to Reducing Fatalities and Injuries in LE Safety:
Training that Influences Change and Culture
Retired Carlsbad (CA) Police Captain and architect of Below 100, Dale Stockton, and Below 100 Chair Rob Beidler, will present the various training options that Below 100 offers and cover the basic of their Five Tenets of safety, designed to reduce crashes, injuries and deaths, as well as enhancing tactical awareness. Dale will present several examples of why each of the tenets is critical to law enforcement officers.
The audience will learn Below 100’s training that embodies the Five Tenets saves lives. Their training courses offer varying degrees of intensity, and they will also train other trainers to become core trainers. NLEOMF and Below 100 have a partnership to bring this training to agencies across the country. In this current atmosphere, it is time to push hard to focus on those things that are preventable and continue to drive down the annual fatality numbers to below 100 deaths.
2:00 PM (Livestreamed)
What Needs to Change to Make Officers Safer on the Roadways?
Noel March, a retired chief of Police, current Director of the University of Maine’s Community Policing Program, member of the IACP Officer Safety & Organizational Wellness Section, and NLEOMF Ambassador and David Flory, retired Chief of Police, Senior Research Associate with the Institute of Intergovernmental Research, and lead instructor with the National Policing Institute’s National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program, will facilitate an open discussion with the live and virtual audience on what is preventing law enforcement from taking the steps necessary to reduce crashes and increase roadway safety.
Key discussion: Consistent vehicle operations and roadside safety training is needed. Seat belt use must be mandatory and reinforced by supervisors and peers. Vehicle skills reviews, supervision and policy review are critical to ensure officers drive safely. Clearing intersections, using emergency equipment, and slowing down are critical elements to reducing crashes. Vehicle striping and high reflective vests are key to increasing visibility and reducing roadside collisions.
3:00 PM (Livestreamed)
New Enforcement Tools and Safety Products
Including: Acucensus, with David Kelly, Vice President Government Solutions
PennStart, with Todd Leiss
3:45 PM
Program Concludes
Watch here to see the forum.
SPEAKER INFO
Rob Beidler, Undersheriff, Snohomish County (WA) Sheriff’s Office (ret.), Chairperson, Below 100
Rob Beidler is a 29-year law enforcement veteran and retired as the Undersheriff of Snohomish County, WA in 2019. He held assignments in patrol, SWAT, Motors, and Special Operations. After becoming a member of the agency’s command staff in 2008, he served as Chief of Operations, Administrative Services Chief, and Corrections Chief. As Undersheriff, he oversaw one of the most powerful examples of Below 100 with a strategic plan that resulted in an incredible reduction in crashes in Snohomish County. As a result, the Sheriff’s Office received national recognition from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and the Governor’s Highway Safety Association. After retiring, Rob began a second career with the Snohomish County Public Utility District where he is the Senior Manager of Safety, Security, and Emergency Management. He holds a degree in Business and Human Resource Management from Western Washington University and has traveled extensively teaching executives and industry leaders the value of developing a safety culture.
Chief David Flory (ret.), Senior Research Associate, Institute for Intergovernmental Research
In addition to his work at the Institute for Intergovernmental Research, Chief David Flory serves as a facilitator and lead instructor for both the VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness Program and the National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program.
Having begun his public safety career as a firefighter/paramedic, Chief Flory has several years of experience as a nationally registered/licensed paramedic and tactical paramedic. He has worked for a variety of emergency medical services systems. With law enforcement and paramedic training and experience, Chief Flory has taught tactical medical courses to hundreds of law enforcement professionals as well as emergency medical technicians and paramedics. He formerly served as the TTPOA’s program manager for the Tactical Paramedic training program and the Tactical Emergency Casualty Care/Tactical Combat Casualty Care-based casualty care and rescue tactics training and has served as an adjunct instructor for the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Level II medical training program.
Chief Flory received a BS degree in criminal justice from Texas Wesleyan University and is a graduate of the 186th Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy.
Flory began his law enforcement career in 1979, working for 31 years with the Bedford (TX) Police Department, serving the last 12 years as police chief. In 2015, he retired from the City of Hot Springs (AK), after serving for 5 years as police chief. Chief Flory has served in a variety of positions and assignments in law enforcement, including patrol, K9, investigations, training, narcotics, SWAT, and administration. He has also served in many law enforcement leadership positions, including president and vice president of the North Texas Police Chiefs Association, the on-site inspector for the Texas Police Chiefs Association Recognition Program, and a member of the North Central Texas Council of Governments Law Enforcement Training Advisory Committee. Chief Flory served as the vice president of the southwest region of the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police and was a committee member for both the Model Policy Development Team and the Arkansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. Chief Flory has served on the board of directors for the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (TTPOA) as a regional director and a training coordinator and as an adjunct instructor in the Basic SWAT and Tactical Command and Decision-Making Schools. He continues to serve the TTPOA as a Training Advisory Board member.
Todd Leiss, Deputy Director of Training, Emergency Responder Safety Institute, First Vice President, Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association
Todd Leiss is a nationally recognized leader in traffic incident management and roadway safety, with more than four decades of dedicated emergency service since first joining the responder community in 1982. He currently serves as Deputy Director of Training for the Emergency Responder Safety Institute and First Vice President of the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association.
A former Traffic Incident Management Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Todd has built a career focused on protecting those who serve on the white line. He is the founder of TIM Heroes, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization honoring responders struck and killed in the line of duty while advancing public awareness and safety outreach. Todd also co-founded the National Emergency Roadway Responder Safety Coalition (NERRSC), a grassroots alliance amplifying TIM coordination and responder protection across jurisdictions.
Known for his collaborative leadership and ability to translate tragedy into action, Todd develops training programs, virtual tabletop exercises, and public campaigns that elevate responder visibility and enhance interagency preparedness. His advocacy is fueled by personal stories and driven by a singular mission: to ensure every responder returns home.
Chief Noel C. March (ret.), Senior Lecturer, Justice Studies, Director, Policing Institute, University of Maine
Noel C. March, a senior lecturer in Justice Studies and the director of the Maine Community Policing Institute at the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA), holds a distinguished background. Most notably, from 2010 to 2018 he served as an appointee of President Barack Obama, holding the U.S. Senate confirmed position of United States Marshal in Maine. From 2002 to 2010 he was the chief of police at the University of Maine. Formerly, Chief March was a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Board of Directors and currently holds the position of an IACP CRI-TAC subject matter expert in community engagement and community policing. Noel also served as a Chief Strategy Officer for Sigma Tactical Wellness, LLC.
Additionally, March serves as an advisor in officer wellness and is an appointed member of the IACP Officer Safety & Organizational Wellness Section of the IACP. His expertise has been featured in publications such as The Police Chief, ASLET Trainer, FBI National Academy Associate, and University Business magazines. His decorated career includes law enforcement positions in Connecticut and Maine, where he has held the ranks of Police Officer, Drug Unit Supervisor, and Chief Deputy Sheriff. Proudly, he also volunteers as an Ambassador for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
March is a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy – 170th session and his academic journey culminated in degrees in Organizational Leadership from the University of New England and Peace and Reconciliation Studies from the University of Maine Graduate School.
James Milligan, Detective, Las Vegas Metropolitan PD
Detective James Milligan was born and raised in Sayreville, NJ. He moved to Las Vegas in 2005 and joined the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in 2006 at the age of 19 as a police cadet, assisting patrol officers in their duties and responding to non-hazardous calls for service.
In 2008, Milligan attended the LVMPD Police Academy, followed by the Field Training Program. Upon successful completion, he worked as a patrol officer in various parts of Las Vegas for nine years. During that time, Milligan was assigned to a community-oriented policing squad and the Flex Team, whose primary function was street level narcotics investigations and criminal apprehensions.
Detective Milligan joined the Homicide and Sex Crimes Bureau in 2017. His first assignment was investigating sexual abuse against juveniles. In 2020, he moved to the Special Victim’s Unit where he investigated child abuse and neglect cases. In 2021, Milligan tested for the LVMPD Homicide section where he is assigned today.
Milligan’s primary focus throughout his law enforcement career has been taking the most violent offenders off the street, building solid cases against them, and getting justice for those in need. He also has compassion for officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, and was a member of the LVMPD Honor Guard from 2015 to 2021.
John W. Marshall, Director of the Office of Safety Programs, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (ret.)
John W. Marshall served as the Director of the Office of Safety Programs with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from 2013 to 2025. In that capacity he was responsible for national programs in the areas of law enforcement officer safety, impaired driving enforcement, traffic enforcement, driver education and licensing, pupil transportation safety, pedestrian safety, older driver safety, bicycle safety, and motorcycle safety.
Marshall began his career in public safety in 1980 as a Virginia State Trooper. During his time with the Virginia State Police he also served as a special agent in narcotics investigations, a member of the Training Academy staff, a Tactical Team (SWAT) member, a sergeant in field operations, and spent his final five years on the motorcycle squad. In 1994, President Clinton appointed Marshall to be the U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia. In 1999, he was appointed once again by President Clinton, this time to serve as Director of the U.S. Marshals Service, a position he held until January 2001. In 2002, he was appointed Secretary of Public Safety for the Commonwealth of Virginia by Governor Mark Warner. In 2006, he was re-appointed to that position by Governor Tim Kaine, and remained in office until January 2010.
Marshall earned his undergraduate degree in Government from Georgetown University. He also holds a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Administration of Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Peter Simshauser, Chief Counsel, National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration
Peter Simshauser, NHTSA’s Chief Counsel, oversees legal services across the agency, including the agency’s statutory authorities. His office plays a critical role in advancing the agency’s safety mission, including enforcing vehicle safety standards and overseeing investigations and litigation.
Prior to joining NHTSA, Simshauser was the chief legal officer and chief compliance officer of Motional, a joint venture to develop, deploy and commercialize automated vehicle technology. During his time at Motional, Simshauser led a team responsible for legal and related functions, including corporate compliance and government relations. He partnered with federal and state transportation regulators on evolving regulatory issues and met with regulators to obtain approvals to safely deploy automated vehicles on public roads.
Simshauser began his career as a partner of Skadden Arps, where he represented public and private companies in a wide range of disputes including commercial litigation and government investigations. His work crossed many business sectors including healthcare, financial services, insurance, and product liability. Simshauser graduated from Harvard Law School and received bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering and mathematics.
Dale Stockton, Founder and Architect, Below 100
Dale Stockton is a 32-year-veteran of law enforcement, having worked in all areas of police operations and investigations, and retiring as a police captain from Carlsbad (CA). He is a graduate of the 201st FBI National Academy and holds a Master’s degree in Criminology from the University of California, Irvine.
Stockton has served as a Commissioner for California POST, the agency responsible for all California policing standards and training. He served as the editor-in-chief of Law Office Magazine for 10 years, and authored hundreds of articles during his tenure with the publication.
Stockton is also known for founding Below 100, a non-profit national training program dedicated to driving down line-of-duty police deaths. He has presented the program to tens of thousands of officers around the country and received a 2018 Lifesavers Award from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for his efforts.
Christopher Watkins, Technology Communications Manager, Whelen Engineering, Inc.
Chris Watkins is the Technology Communications Manager at Whelen Engineering, Inc. With more than 25 years of experience in the automotive industry specializing in emergency vehicle upfitting and fabricating, Watkins is uniquely positioned to speak with authority on vehicle mechanics, electronics, and emergency equipment design. Since 2012, he has worked with Whelen Engineering, which is known for manufacturing high-quality lighting and siren systems for emergency and warning vehicles. In that time, he has gained significant expertise in integrating and optimizing advanced intelligent control systems within emergency vehicles, ensuring they function effectively during critical situations. Overall, his extensive experience in the automotive industry, coupled with his specialization in emergency vehicle upfitting and knowledge of advanced control systems, make him a prime resource for agencies seeking to make technological improvements that provide a safer experience for their first responders. Chris regularly speaks at events around the country sharing his expertise and educating audiences about the innovative solutions that are helping to protect those who protect and serve their communities.
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