2025 Crisis and Strategic Communications Conference

As police command staff and communicators, you can at times be seen as the face (literally) of a police service.  During a crisis, this brings with it a need to present as calm, in control, and providing responses when definitive answers are not available, can't be shared, or both.  Such crises typically don't happen in a vacuum, and may involve family, friends, neighbours, and of course colleagues.  Your messages can often be dissected later by community members who have the benefit of hindsight; and at times, further analysed through ensuing court proceedings.  In short - this can be stressful work!  Cops, like healthcare professionals, tend to be more comfortable taking care of everybody else's needs before their own.  This presentation examines the impact of your work while presenting evidence-based solutions to looking after yourself, and by extension, your loved ones, friends, and colleagues.  

Dr. Phil Ritchie has been a psychologist for 35 years, 17 years at the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, and the next 10 years at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.  While he retired from full-time work at CHEO in 2018, he remains on staff, supporting employee wellness, providing outreach to Pikwakanagan in the wake of their fentanyl-related state of emergency, and working with parents, families, and staff at Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice.  Phil began working with first responders from the outset of his career, as a member and eventual clinical lead of the Ottawa Valley Critical Incident Stress Management Team.  His private clinical practice dealt mainly with sworn and civilian members of police services, wrapping up in December 2024,  He has extensive experience in responding to tragic events including being seconded by Health Canada to Halifax following the crash of Swissair Ft 111, seconded by City of Ottawa and/or Ottawa Police following the OC Transpo workplace shootings, bus-train collision, and bus-station collision.  He was seconded by an American NGO to Sri Lanka following the 2004 tsunami. Phil has consulted to the City of Ottawa, RCMP, Canadian Police College, and National Defence regarding disaster preparedness and response to critical incidents. Phil has consulted to the Ottawa Police Services since 2007, lectured at the Canadian Police College and has also presented at the RCMP training Depot Division (Regina). He is past president for the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology as well as past board member for Ottawa’s Youth Services Bureau.  Phil continues to consult to the Ottawa Police Service including his role as Mental Health Professional on the negotiator team, as well as offering presentations and debriefings.  

About this Session

Is Sweden a Nation Awash in a Gun Violence Crisis? What Canadian Law Enforcement Organizations Can Learn From How Swedish Police Leaders and Communicators in Addressing Gun and Violent Crimes.

Tommy Thorngren, Press Manager, Swedish Police Authority, Stockholm Police Region

Tommy Thorngren, press manager at the Swedish Police Authority, Police Region Stockholm, looks back at how Sweden went from being a country with very few gun related crimes to being a nation where criminal constellations more and more solved their conflicts with guns and explosions. Violence that with increasing frequency took place in public areas forcing the Swedish Police to make severe changes in the way they work, both regarding prevention and how they could solve the steady flow of serious violent crimes. But also with the communication as both the public, media and politicians demanded an end to the violence.

Karin Linder, Communication strategist at the Swedish Police Authority, Police Region Bergslagen, will take you back to February 4th—the day that forever changed Sweden, when the most violent school attack in the nation’s history struck Campus Risbergska in Örebro. She will reveal the immense challenges of crisis communication, from the chaos and fear of that very first day to the long and intensive four months that followed during the investigation. An investigation carried out with one urgent mission: to uncover the answers that could make healing possible—not only for a grieving society, but for shattered families, the wounded, and every human being whose life was touched by this tragedy.

SMRT Solution Consulting Inc. Conference Marketing Materials

“Let’s get comfortable with being uncomfortable: managing public perception with effective crisis communications.”

When a crisis strikes, there’s no pause button. In today’s world of citizen journalism, instant video and social media, police leaders must be ready to respond with confidence, clarity, and credibility to build public trust. Let’s Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable: Managing Public Perception with Effective Crisis Communications is a fast-paced workshop designed exclusively for police professionals, media teams and leaders, to test your skills, learn from past mistakes and build capacity for strategic, trust-building communications. Led by SMRT Solution Consulting Inc.’s seasoned facilitators, Basia Radomski and Bill McKee, this hands-on session blends real-world case studies with a high-pressure tabletop scenario. Participants will dissect a high-profile incident turned PR crisis, explore how communication choices shaped public perception, and apply instructor-led theory in a realistic, evolving crisis simulation designed to stress-test team dynamics, sharpen skills and ability to pivot to address a developing scenario. This workshop challenges teams to view communications through a public lens, honing their ability to lead with clear, timely, and transparent messaging that navigates scrutiny, counters misinformation, and strengthens both trust and reputation.

Basia Radomski, Owner and Principal Consultant, SMRT Solution Consulting Inc.

Bill McKee – Owner and Principal Consultant, SMRT Solution Consulting Inc.

Bill McKee is a highly regarded trainer, facilitator, and strategist who combines 25 years of frontline emergency services experience with deep expertise in emergency management, crisis leadership, and labour relations. As a former Acting Captain with Toronto Fire Services and an executive board member of the Toronto Professional Firefighters Association, he played a pivotal role in high-stakes negotiations, human rights matters, workplace investigations, and government relations. His advocacy work set a landmark 2014 WSIAT decision recognizing PTSD in firefighters. Bill’s experience extends to consulting with public-sector clients such as the TTC, Manitoba Health, and the Region of Peel on emergency response planning, business continuity, and leadership coaching. As a former incident commander and licensed paralegal, he brings a multidimensional lens to crisis scenarios, knowing how to respond quickly and effectively with tactical decisions, clear communications and how to pivot in real-time, balancing tactical decision-making and legislative requirements with communication clarity. Bill’s approach helps organizations under pressure align internally, act decisively, and communicate effectively to protect both people and reputation.