Global Police Leaders Entrusted to Lead International March of the Living in Historic Fist, Connecting Holocaust Remembrance with Modern Policing Responsibility.

Kraków, Poland, April 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following the signing of a historic international policing agreement in Berlin, more than 120 senior law enforcement leaders from across North America and Europe have convened in Kraków, Poland as part of the Not on Our Watch:

Operationalizing Never Again initiative in coordinated by the Rutgers Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience.

As part of this program, the delegation has been selected by leadership of the International March of The Living to lead this year's march, making a historic moment for global law enforcement participation in the world's largest annual commemorations of the Holocaust held on the site of Auschwitz and Birkenau.

Bringing together police leadership from multiple continents, the group is also participating in a program designed to connect historical understanding with modern operational responsibility, focusing on the role of law enforcement in protecting vulnerable communities and preventing the conditions that allow extremism and targeted violence to escalate.

“Standing in these places changes how you think about leadership,” said Paul Goldenberg, Chair of the International Police Delegation and Deputy Director of Rutgers Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience. “This is not theoretical. You are confronted with what happens when institutions fail, when warning signs are ignored, and when leadership hesitates. The responsibility we carry as law enforcement leaders becomes very real here.”

Following the March of the Living, the International Police Delegation will be recognized during the official plenary candle-lighting ceremony at Auschwitz-Birkenau, one of the most solemn commemorative events honoring the victims of the Holocaust. In a significant tribute, leading global police associations, representing millions of law enforcement professionals and participating under the leadership of Paul Goldenberg, Chair of the International Police Delegation, have been invited to light one of the commemorative candles during the ceremony.

Participants are engaging in structured discussions, site visits, and direct conversations with Holocaust survivors and individuals impacted by modern acts of extremist violence. reinforcing the human impact of institutional failure and the importance of leadership, accountability, and early intervention.

The program builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Berlin on April 9, which formally launched the Democratic Policing Initiative, a five-year international framework focused on strengthening cooperation, training, and alignment across policing institutions.

“History makes clear what is at stake when institutions fail to act,” said Jochen Kopelke, Chairman of the German Police Union and President of the Federation of European Police Unions. “For law enforcement across Europe, this is a call to lead with clarity, to act early, and to work together across borders to prevent the conditions that allow hate and extremism to take hold.”

The Not On Our Watch initiative brings together major policing organizations, academic institutions, and international partners to strengthen democratic resilience through leadership development, operational collaboration, and shared accountability.

As global threats evolve, organizers emphasize that the role of policing must also evolve, with a greater focus on prevention, coordination, and maintaining public trust.

About Not On Our Watch: Operationalizing Never Again (ONA)

Not On Our Watch: Operationalizing Never Again is a global executive-level initiative that translates the lessons of democratic breakdown into practical, modern policing doctrine. The program convenes senior law enforcement leaders across borders to strengthen democratic resilience, reinforce institutional accountability, and protect vulnerable communities through applied training and sustained international collaboration.

About the International March of the Living

The International March of the Living is an annual global educational program that brings participants from around the world to Poland to study the history of the Holocaust and examine the consequences of hatred, intolerance, and institutional failure. The program culminates in a march from Auschwitz to Birkenau, honoring the victims of the Holocaust and reinforcing the importance of remembrance and responsibility.

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