PODCAST

Policing Matters

Police1.com

Talking the beat to cover what matters to you as an LEO. Join deputy chief Jim Dudley (ret.) every Wednesday as he sits down with law enforcement leaders and criminal justice experts to discuss strategy, challenges and trends in policing.
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TV news reporter Caroline Torie on becoming a digital forensic investigator
TV news reporter Caroline Torie on becoming a digital forensic investigator
4d ago
22 mins
TV news reporter Caroline Torie on becoming a digital forensic investigator
TV news reporter Caroline Torie on becoming a digital forensic investigator
Digital forensics has been a specialty science in law enforcement for several years now, with emerging technology and investigative revelations happening every year. The science behind digital evidence recovery, be it from a cell phone, computer or even the cloud, takes a skilled investigator who knows what they are doing. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Deputy Director Caroline Torie of the St. Joseph County Cyber Crimes Unit in Indiana. Caroline started her career as a law enforcement officer in September 2021 after five years as a television reporter for WSBT-TV, a CBS affiliate in Indiana. She covered police investigations as a journalist but wanted to do more to impact the pursuit of truth and justice in her community and so she started working in law enforcement herself. Now, she’s the recipient of a Magnet Forensics Scholarship Award that will allow her to train for a year under digital forensic experts. This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
4d ago
22 mins
Chief Robert McNeilly on how early intervention can identify issues before they become problems
Chief Robert McNeilly on how early intervention can identify issues before they become problems
Managing police officers is a difficult task since the job is so multi-faceted and often fast-paced. We ask officers to do so many things, and in the process to be smart, thoughtful, judicious, efficient and thorough. Some people make assumptions that an officer has complete control over their environment. Of course, this is not true. Officers can be well trained, yet may be challenged in dealing with individuals under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or in a mental health crisis. They are often asked to go into situations where people are in conflict or combative. In these cases, de-escalation may only be a theory, rather than an achievable act. Many agencies use a system to help detect problems by looking at statistics accumulated in an early intervention system. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Chief Robert McNeilly, Jr., about how an early intervention system can work best for agencies, officers and communities. During Chief McNeilly's 37-year career, he guided the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police through 10 of its most turbulent years, taking office one week after a series of lawsuits filed against the city by individuals and the ACLU led to a U.S. Department of Justice investigation and the first civil-rights “pattern or practice” consent decree in American history. He is the author of "Blue Continuum: A Police Chief’s Perspective on What’s Wrong with Policing Today and How to Fix It," and a leading trainer and consultant in police management techniques.
May 10 2022
42 mins
Salah Czapary on strategies to solve D.C.’s violent crime crisis
Salah Czapary on strategies to solve D.C.’s violent crime crisis
Since the D.C. Council voted in 2020 to cut the police budget by $15 million, there has been a 28% increase in violent crime, a 55% increase in robberies, an 18% increase in carjackings and, as of 2021, the highest number of homicides in nearly two decades. On April 15, 2022, Salah Czapary published an op-ed in The Washington Post titled "No one asked for fewer DC police doing more work." Salah is a Democrat, a candidate for his party's nomination for D.C. Council Ward 1, a former D.C. police officer and special assistant to the Chief of Police. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Salah about the challenges facing the Metropolitan Police Department and real-world initiatives that would improve community safety. To learn more about Salah, visit https://salah2022.com/. This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
May 4 2022
22 mins
Predicting the future of policing
Predicting the future of policing
We are at a crossroads in policing. What are the long-term effects on law enforcement of defunding, COVID-19, the recruitment crisis, and public perception? What about AI? Technology? Less lethal weapons? How do all these things impact officer safety and morale? Wouldn’t it be great to get a glimpse into the future to give assurance to our veteran officers and their families to stay the course and to let new candidates know policing is still a noble profession worth entering? Today’s guest on Policing Matters is Scott A. Cunningham, a 38-year police professional with 12 years as a chief of police. He holds a Ph.D. in Adult Education and Organizational Management; teaches police officers, students, citizens, and communities on numerous topics; and is a team leader for CALEA. Scott recently authored, “The Future of Policing: 200 Recommendations to Enhance Policing and Community Safety,” and shares his top recommendations during a conversation with podcast host Jim Dudley.
Apr 27 2022
35 mins
‘Keeping names off the wall’: How NLEOMF works to prioritize officer safety
‘Keeping names off the wall’: How NLEOMF works to prioritize officer safety
In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley sits down with Troy Anderson, the executive director of officer safety and wellness at NLEOMF to discuss officer safety trends nationwide. Each year, in preparation for Police1's coverage of National Police Week, we speak with someone from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), the organization that built and continues to maintain the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. NLEOMF is a principal organizer of National Police Week events, including the annual Candlelight Vigil held each May 13 to honor all fallen officers. In addition, the Fund maintains the largest, most comprehensive database of line-of-duty officer deaths, conducts research into officer fatality trends and issues, and serves as an information clearinghouse.
Apr 20 2022
28 mins
Sergeant Dalton Webb on how a real-time crime center arms officers with information
Sergeant Dalton Webb on how a real-time crime center arms officers with information
Sergeant Dalton Webb is a 17-year veteran of the Fort Worth Police Department and founder of Fort Worth's Real-Time Crime Center, which he began when he was an officer assigned to the intelligence section. Since then, the Fort Worth RTCC has grown into a 24/7 operation with 16 sworn officers and is the information and intelligence hub of the Fort Worth Police Department. Sergeant Webb is now a national expert on the concepts of integrating technology into a policing agency and effectively using these tools to drive the policing mission. He is currently writing his first book on technology-driven policing and believes that most policing agencies in America will operate some form of a real time crime center within the next 10 years. In this episode of Policing Matters, Sergeant Webb discusses the impact of technology-driven policing on officer safety and crime prevention.
Apr 13 2022
39 mins
The why behind law enforcement relationship problems (and how to fix them)
The why behind law enforcement relationship problems (and how to fix them)
Relationships are difficult to maintain in the best of times. Add the stress of current times, including the economy and the pandemic, and you have a recipe for stressed-out relationships. And if one or both partners are in law enforcement presents a whole array of additional issues. Do law enforcement couples have a higher rate of divorce than the general public? Are there tried and true ways of making relationships work even in these high-stress times? Today's guest on Policing Matters may have some answers. Cyndi Doyle is the wife of a law enforcement officer and a licensed therapist who focuses on marriage and relationships. She is also the author of Hold the Line: The Essential Guide to Protecting Your Law Enforcement Relationship and hosts the podcast Code4couples.
Apr 6 2022
33 mins
Jason Lehman on ”Why’d you stop me?”
Jason Lehman on ”Why’d you stop me?”
Retired Long Beach Police Department Sgt. Jason Lehman's mission is to reduce violence between peace officers and community through education. In this episode of Policing Matters, he chats with host Jim Dudley about how education and effective communication can improve both officer and community safety. This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is sponsored by the Master of Science in Law Enforcement & Public Safety Leadership Program at the University of San Diego. Learn how this nationally ranked online program can help you be a force for change at sandiego.edu/police1.
Mar 30 2022
43 mins
Andy Borello on the daily practices that improve law enforcement leadership skills
Andy Borello on the daily practices that improve law enforcement leadership skills
We are all leaders and we are all followers. Whether your police career plan is to stay on patrol or to promote to sergeant or above, there are daily practices you can adopt to improve your leadership skills. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with retired Police Captain Andy Borrello on how to develop a toolkit of effective leadership traits.
Mar 23 2022
43 mins
Jonni Redick on developing police leadership potential
Jonni Redick on developing police leadership potential
In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with retired Assistant Chief Jonni Redick, leader, mentor and author of The Survival Guide to Law Enforcement Promotional Preparation,” about how officers can prepare for promotion and how law enforcement agencies can (and must) build leadership pipelines.  This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is sponsored by the Master of Science in Law Enforcement & Public Safety Leadership Program at the University of San Diego. Learn how this nationally ranked online program can help you be a force for change at sandiego.edu/police1.
Mar 15 2022
40 mins
Sgt. Jamie Borden on use-of-force investigations and analysis
Sgt. Jamie Borden on use-of-force investigations and analysis
So many factors are involved before the use of force by a police officer. Officers are training in de-escalation and defensive tactics, and then there are the behaviors exhibited by the subject that officers must respond to. In the aftermath, the critics come out from internal and external review boards, the public, elected officials, the media and even other law officers. Certainly, some use-of-force incidents may be decided by a judge and jury. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with police veteran and force analysis expert Sergeant Jamie Borden, founder of Critical Incident Review, LLC, about the complexities and challenges around law enforcement use of force. P.O.S.T. certified in 1997, a police veteran of a large police department in Nevada, Sergeant Jamie Borden was tasked with the creation and implementation of the “Use of Force Training and Analysis Unit” for the agency. The unit was created specifically to identify and analyze police performance issues related to police use-of-force and police training. He has 25 years of professional involvement in law enforcement as an instructor, lecturer and consultant.
Mar 8 2022
57 mins
Gordon Graham on how all roads lead to effective communication
Gordon Graham on how all roads lead to effective communication
It is no surprise that most respondents to Police1’s second annual State of the Industry survey indicated that communication is key to being a good supervisor. Along with that, the 2,376 respondents indicated that they want law enforcement leaders who: Care about their officers;Have technical knowledge of the job;Ensure equal distribution of workload among all their officers;Acknowledge the efforts of their subordinates;Support them in doing their job. To help decipher what cops want and how law enforcement leaders can accommodate their requests, there can be no better advisor than Gordon Graham, who has been actively involved in law enforcement since 1973. Graham worked as a CHP motorcycle officer in Los Angeles for most of his first 10 years then served as a sergeant in the same office for most of his second 10 years. He spent the remainder of his career in various headquarters assignments including assistant to the general counsel, executive assist to the commissioner and commander of the office of risk management. He took his background in CHP operations and coupled it with his education in risk management and his experiences as a lawyer to co-found Lexipol, a company designed to standardize public safety operations nationally.  In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley chats with Gordon about the key takeaways from the survey for law enforcement leaders.
Mar 1 2022
30 mins
’Homicide Hunter’ Lt. Joe Kenda on what it takes to be a great detective
’Homicide Hunter’ Lt. Joe Kenda on what it takes to be a great detective
Ask any new cop what they want to be doing after they do their time in patrol. Some will say to go to narcotics, or K-9, or maybe to promote up the ranks. Chances are a lot will say they want to be a detective, but not just any kind of detective, they want to work homicide. However, is it really all it’s cracked up to be? This week's Policing Matters guest will answer that question and provide a good look into the life of a homicide detective. Lt. Joe Kenda, a 23-year veteran of the Colorado Springs Police Department, spent 21 years chasing killers as a homicide detective and commander of the major crimes unit. Kenda and his team solved 356 of his 387 homicide cases, resulting in a 92% solve rate, one of the highest in the country. After retiring from law enforcement, he starred in Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, an American true-crime documentary series that ran for nine seasons on Investigation Discovery (ID).
Feb 22 2022
31 mins
Why cops should consider getting a graduate degree
Why cops should consider getting a graduate degree
The benefits of higher education for law enforcement officers can include improving a better understanding of laws and policies, to becoming a better communicator, both verbally and on the written page, to becoming more socially aware from interaction with professors and peer students. The University of Virginia has long been linked to law enforcement practices through the association with the FBI National Academy In Quantico, Virginia and with respected law enforcement leaders on faculty, such as Lexipol's Gordon Graham. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Bryon Gustafson, assistant professor and director of the Master of Public Safety program at the University of Virginia, about the benefits of a master's degree for police officers.
Feb 18 2022
32 mins
’Care not cuffs’: Redefining mental health outreach
’Care not cuffs’: Redefining mental health outreach
The past few years have shed light on what may be described as “mission creep” in policing. Law enforcement officers have been asked to do an awful lot of duties that may have not been on the original job description of being a cop. Things like dealing with drug addiction and homeless issues certainly stretch the expertise of professional law enforcement personnel.  The "defund" movement may have actually been good in outsourcing some of those duties. Most of us can agree that dealing with people afflicted with serious mental health issues has been problematic and vexing. Solutions are appearing. The FCC recently adopted rules to establish 988 as the new, nationwide, three-digit phone number for mental health emergencies, set to go live on July 16, 2022. Dispatchers will triage calls to route them to the most appropriate resource-civilian medical or law enforcement. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Dr. Vincent Atchity of Mental Health Colorado and the Equitas Project about the organization's Care Not Cuffs initiative about how to connect individuals with mental illness with community partners that can help achieve better health outcomes and more efficiently managed costs.
Feb 11 2022
36 mins
How to stand up an electric police fleet
How to stand up an electric police fleet
Technology has had a huge impact on policing. We have automated record keeping, organized evidence facilities with RFID, enhanced forensics and crime labs with new science, and using virtual reality to enhance police training. Is the next wave of technology coming in the form of fleet improvements? Over the past few years, some law enforcement agencies have started to add electric vehicles (EVs) to their fleets. So, how will American law enforcement venture into the use of EVs in everyday policing? In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Michael Benson about the infrastructure and fleet analysis law enforcement agencies should conduct to assess their electric vehicle needs. Benson, who is a retired fire chief from Ohio, expert on electric vehicles and fleet considerations, and co-owner of Command Consulting LLC, regularly consults with public safety agencies and municipalities on municipal electrification, emergency services and shared services.
Feb 1 2022
46 mins
The value of human behavior pattern recognition and analysis for law enforcement
The value of human behavior pattern recognition and analysis for law enforcement
The public has a high expectation that law enforcement officers should be able to see in the future and know what is going to happen on a call for service. We have seen new legislation that is based upon this presumption, especially in situations where force is used. How exactly are officers supposed to learn how to see into the future, much less through clothing and concealed areas to know if there is a weapon present on a suspect or not? Today’s guests on the Policing Matters podcast may be able to show us how we can sharpen our senses and use science to help us predict outcomes based on human reactions. Brian Marren is a human behavior subject matter expert and Senior VP of Operations at Arcadia Cogenerati, a company that trains in the science of human behavior. A former Marine Scout Sniper with multiple deployments to Iraq, he has worked with people from the military, Fortune 500 companies, schools, hospitals, churches and law enforcement agencies. Greg Williams is the president and founder of Arcadia Cognerati, and a decorated urban law enforcement professional and a decorated former soldier with over 30 years of combined experience and expertise. Brian and Greg also host a podcast called “The Left of Greg.”
Jan 28 2022
45 mins
Dr. Renée Mitchell on evidence-based policing in practice
Dr. Renée Mitchell on evidence-based policing in practice
We hear the term “evidence-based policing” tossed around a lot these days. Exactly what does it mean? Does it mean that the results of a program are deemed the decider in whether or not it is replicated and funded? Do we then package it up and institutionalize those evidence-based practices at law enforcement agencies across the country? In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley asks Dr. Renée J. Mitchell to discuss evidence-based policing in practice. Dr. Mitchell served in the Sacramento Police Department for 22 years, is a senior police researcher with RTI International, and is the co-founder and executive committee member of the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing. She has taught and lectured internationally on evidence-based policing. Her research areas include policing, evidence-based crime prevention, evaluation research and methods, place-based criminology, 911 calls for service and implicit bias training.
Jan 21 2022
36 mins
Why your agency is stronger with reserve officers
Why your agency is stronger with reserve officers
Could part-time officers help solve the police recruitment crisis? That is the question Policing Matters host and Police1 columnist Jim Dudley recently debated with fellow columnist Joel Shults as part of their State Your Case column. The article elicited lots of reader responses, including one from Dr. Ross Wolf, who has over 30 years of experience as a full-time and reserve deputy and currently serves as president of the Volunteer Law Enforcement Officer Alliance (VLEOA). In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley chats with Dr. Wolf about the many benefits reserve officers bring to law enforcement. Learn more about how agencies can utilize the strengths and expertise of volunteers in this article co-authored by Dr. Ross Wolf and fellow reserve officer, Dr. Adam Dobrin.
Jan 14 2022
33 mins
Sexual exploitation, human trafficking and the decriminalization of prostitution
Sexual exploitation, human trafficking and the decriminalization of prostitution
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-partisan organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and public health harms of pornography.  On this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley chats with Dr. Michael Shively, who is the senior advisor on research and data analysis for NCOSE. Throughout his 30-year career in applied research, Dr. Shively has provided practitioners, legislators, agency managers and advocates with information and tools to advance their efforts to address human trafficking, sexual violence and other forms of victimization.
Jan 7 2022
52 mins