Julian Fantino, Chief of Police for the City of Toronto, has declared he will run for the position of Vice President at Large for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).

The successful candidate for this position will be appointed for a 3 year term at the Association's 110th Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 21 - 25, 2003. This term will be completed at the 113th Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, October 14 - 18, 2006.

The position of Vice President at Large is new to the IACP Board of Officers and was created as a result of a restructuring plan which is intended to shorten the number of years required to reach the position of President. This change also provides an opportunity for those wishing to sit on the Board with a shorter commitment and without presidential aspirations.

Traditionally, members wishing to pursue the position of President, were required to run for the office of 6th Vice President and work their way up through the vice presidential chairs to the positions of President and, subsequently, Immediate Past President. In addition to any previous work on IACP committees, sections or divisions, an individual would be required to invest 8 years of professional life to work through the Board positions. To shorten this commitment to 6 years, the new Board structure will include 4 Vice Presidents, each one moving through the chairs to President, and two Vice Presidents at Large, serving for three years, with their respective terms beginning one year apart.

To accomplish this transition, the IACP Board of Officers will add the two Vice Presidents at Large over two years in 2003 and 2004, thereby expanding the size of the current Board by two. In 2005 and 2006, the positions of 6th Vice President and 5th Vice President will be eliminated, returning the Board to its current number of members.

Julian Fantino is the first IACP member to announce his intention to run in the election of the first Vice President at Large under this new format.