October 21st 2026

November 12th - 12pm EST Webinar - Modernizing Police Resourcing: Demand, Capacity and Organizational Performance with Madison Charman, Barrie Police Service, John Fast, Waterloo Regional Police Service, and Hector Perez, Niagara Regional Police Service. Moderator Lisa Darling, Executive Director Police Governance Ontario

November 12th - 12pm EST Webinar - Modernizing Police Resourcing: Demand, Capacity and Organizational Performance with Madison Charman, Barrie Police Service, John Fast, Waterloo Regional Police Service, and Hector Perez, Niagara Regional Police Service. Moderator Lisa Darling, Executive Director Police Governance Ontario

Madison Charman is an Organizational Researcher for the Barrie Police Service and a PhD student in Criminology and Social Justice at Ontario Tech University. Wearing hats in both policing operations and academia, she possesses a unique expertise in conducting and implementing practical law enforcement research. Driven by a commitment to evidence-based policy and public safety, she has led and supported research across a diverse portfolio, including youth prevention programming, police legitimacy, intimate partner violence, trauma-informed policing, and the integration of AI and technology. Ultimately, Madison uses her unique position to advocate for data-driven practices that strengthen both law enforcement operations and the communities they serve.

John Fast is a Strategic Planner with the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS). Prior to joining WRPS, he earned a PhD in Strategic Management from McGill University, with a focus on technology management. His current portfolio includes overtime optimization and staffing initiatives, and his broader interests span applied econometrics, organizational learning, and social network theory.

Hector Perez holds a PhD in Strategy and Technology Management and is a former Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Waterloo. He has more than a decade of experience in project management, evaluation, strategic planning, and corporate analysis. He currently serves as Corporate Analyst with the Niagara Regional Police Service and previously worked with the Hamilton Police Service. His work focuses on strategy development and evaluation, demand analysis, resource allocation, workload studies, and evidence-based policing. Hector serves on the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Research Advisory Committee and is an active member of several professional and evidence-based policing organizations in Canada and internationally.

November 24th Webinar - 12pm EST - Building a National Police Service: Ensuring Accountability with Capability with Blair Gibbs

Building a National Police Service: Ensuring Accountability with Capability with Blair Gibbs

Blair Gibbs – Director – The Police Foundation

Blair is a leading policy advisor and consultant with expertise in public policy and government relations. For 20 years he has researched and advised on criminal justice, policing and drugs policy in the UK and more recently, in Canada.

He is the founder of The Policy Works, where he supports a range of clients on policy, strategy and public affairs. He was special advisor to the Prime Minister in the No.10 Policy Unit from July 2019 to October 2020 and before that he was senior advisor to the Justice Secretary from 2015 to 2016. Blair was also principal advisor at the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime in London from 2012 until 2015.

His work in North America has involved research on the opioids crisis in Canada, and alcohol and public safety policies for the Stanford Network for Addiction Policy, along with public attitudes research for a variety of clients, and most recently, providing support to the Government of Alberta in Canada to study the impacts of drug policy and to deliver their ‘Recovery Oriented System of Care’ across the province.

February 9th - 12pm EST Webinar – Crisis Communications with Cherri Greeno

In high-pressure situations, how you communicate can define public trust and organizational credibility. Join Cherri Greeno, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Waterloo Regional Police Service, as she shares practical strategies for managing messaging during crises. Drawing on her award-winning journalism background and leadership in national and international communications networks, Cherri will provide real-world insights on media relations, rapid response, and maintaining clarity and control when it matters most.

February 25th - 12pm EST Webinar - AI in Policing: Balancing Innovation, Accountability, and Public Trust with Mara Cairo

February 25th - 12pm EST Webinar - AI in Policing: Balancing Innovation, Accountability, and Public Trust with Mara Cairo

Mara is an accomplished technology leader serving as Executive Director of the Information Technology Division with the Edmonton Police Service, where she provides strategic direction across enterprise IT, architecture, and project portfolio management to support mission‑critical policing systems and enable modern, intelligence‑led public safety operations. With a foundation in electrical engineering from the University of Alberta and professional designations including P.Eng. and PMP, Mara brings a strong blend of technical depth and organizational leadership, with a focus on large‑scale transformation and disciplined execution. Prior to joining EPS, she worked at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii)—one of Canada’s leading AI research and innovation organizations—where she led advanced technology teams supporting organizations in applying AI and machine learning to complex operational challenges. Known for her pragmatic approach to innovation and her ability to translate strategy into delivery, Mara is committed to advancing digital capabilities that deliver measurable impact, strengthen public service outcomes, and build sustainable organizational capacity.

March 9th - 12pm EST Webinar – Police Governance Under Fire: A Case Study in Saint John New Brunswick

March 9th - 12pm EST Webinar – Police Governance Under Fire: A Case Study in Saint John New Brunswick with Fred Kaustinen

Fred Kaustinen is the founder and principal of Governedge – a police governance consulting firm www.governedge.com. He has been advising municipalities, police boards and commissions across Canada for over 25 years. He is widely considered to be one of the foremost thought-leaders on police governance in Canada, and is a recipient of the Excellence in Police Governance Award from the Canadian Association of Police Governance.

Fred is a former Canadian Army officer who served and on four continents over a 20-year career. He was decorated for leadership and courage during operations in Kuwait in 1991, and later recognized as one of the Canadian Armed Forces preeminent strategic planners.

Fred is a lifelong learner and athlete who has lived and/or worked in every province and territory in Canada. He now calls Toronto home, where he lives with partner in both life and business – Carol.

Fred has been blessed with three wonderful children and two delightful grandchildren that he loves to spoil whenever he gets the chance!

Fred was the Project Lead and principal author of the recent Saint John Police Governance Review, whose lessons are applicable throughout the police governance community. His webinar will share these insights in case study fashion.