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 o...
May 04, 2022•23 min•Ep. 326
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 Po...
Apr 27, 2022•35 min•Ep. 325
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...
Apr 20, 2022•29 min•Ep. 324
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 ...
Apr 13, 2022•39 min•Ep. 323
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 hav...
Apr 06, 2022•34 min•Ep. 322
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 nationa...
Mar 30, 2022•44 min•Ep. 321
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•44 min•Ep. 320
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 ho...
Mar 15, 2022•40 min•Ep. 319
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 Dud...
Mar 08, 2022•58 min•Ep. 318
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...
Mar 01, 2022•30 min•Ep. 317
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 Spr...
Feb 22, 2022•32 min•Ep. 316
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 ...
Feb 18, 2022•33 min•Ep. 315
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...
Feb 11, 2022•37 min•Ep. 314
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 polici...
Feb 01, 2022•47 min•Ep. 313
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 ab...
Jan 28, 2022•46 min•Ep. 312
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 Sacra...
Jan 21, 2022•37 min•Ep. 311
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...
Jan 14, 2022•34 min•Ep. 310
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 provi...
Jan 07, 2022•52 min•Ep. 309
Law enforcement officers are often called on to provide counsel and comfort for people in need, colleagues and even their own friends and families. It is difficult for law officers to ask for help in return. Having a chaplain available for difficult times can be a blessing, whether it is with a religious affiliation or not. On this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley chats with Jared Altic, who is the kind of person you can count on to lend an ear - and maybe some sage advice and guidan...
Dec 30, 2021•32 min•Ep. 308
On the annual year-end episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley is joined by fellow Police1 columnist, criminal justice professor and former law enforcement officer Janay Gasparini, Ph.D . During this special episode, Jim and Janay discuss some of the biggest issues law enforcement faced in 2021, including: COVID-19 vaccination mandates Women in policing Recruitment and retention Officer support systems Active bystandership in law enforcement Evolving police defensive tactics training Opioid...
Dec 16, 2021•55 min•Ep. 307
In this compendium of interviews from the FBINAA National Annual Training Conference , held in Orlando, Florida, July 7-10, Policing Matters host Jim Dudley speaks with: Former New York City Police Commissioner and former LAPD Chief Bill Bratton, about the challenges of policing today; Bensalem Township Police Department's Director of Public Safety Fred Harran about his agency's use of Thermo Fisher's Rapid DNA to solve property crimes; Doug Monda, founder of Survive First , about the barriers t...
Dec 10, 2021•28 min•Ep. 306
Crime in America is either rising, or is low, depending on where you get your news and information. One source that disseminates crime rates, statistics, reports and other information is CrimeinAmerica.net run by Leonard A. Sipes , a former police officer who worked his way through top positions within the justice system. Sipes retired in June 2016 as the Senior Public Affairs Specialist and Social Media Manager for a federal criminal justice agency. He was the primary spokesperson for crime pre...
Dec 03, 2021•48 min•Ep. 305
Long before we hit the wall with police officer recruitment , Sgt. Justin Collins, an 18-year veteran of the Rochester Police Department, co-founded Police Exam Career Prep (PECP) with the goal of mentoring and guiding a new generation of law enforcement officers. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley chats with Sgt. Collins about how PECP has been able to help more than 75 dedicated men and women prepare for the police hiring process and make their dream of becoming a police offi...
Nov 23, 2021•28 min•Ep. 304
Across public safety, personnel work in conditions that range from boredom to sudden periods of extreme stress. In addition, it’s no secret that officers don’t get enough quality sleep or meals and work ungodly hours, as well as excessive overtime. But what are the lasting, long-term effects of these occupational hazards? In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Dr. John Violanti, noted police wellness researcher and LE veteran, about the increased risks police officers f...
Nov 19, 2021•37 min•Ep. 303
In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Chief Carmen Best, who recently released her memoir, “ Black in Blue: Lessons on Leadership, Breaking Barriers, and Racial Reconciliation ,” about the leadership lessons she learned as Seattle’s first Black woman police chief charged with steering the agency through some of the most critical events in policing history.
Nov 12, 2021•23 min•Ep. 302
On this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley is joined by attorney and former deputy sheriff Bridget Truxillo, who now works to bring wellness and support to the public safety community as founder and CEO of Protective Wellness . Jim and Bridget chat about how law enforcement officers can apply wellness principles to improve their emotional health.
Nov 05, 2021•34 min•Ep. 301
According to Bureau of Justice statistics, nearly half of all local police departments have fewer than 10 officers. Three in four of the departments (75%) have no more than two dozen officers. And nine in 10 employ fewer than 50 sworn officers. Policing is tough, but even more challenging when you consider the many responsibilities officers face in smaller departments, often responding to calls without backup and across large geographical distances. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim ...
Oct 29, 2021•31 min•Ep. 300
We are all better off reading books, whether to expand our knowledge learn or just to relax. On this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley is joined by fellow podcaster , detective and Police1 columnist Christopher Littrell to share some book recommendations, both texts that will improve your performance as an LEO and recommended books to read for leisure. What books would you add to this list? Email editor@police1.com . Check out Police1.com for the full list of books mentioned in this e...
Oct 22, 2021•35 min•Ep. 299
In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley chats with Pocatello Police Department Chief Roger Schei about how this mid-sized agency in the fifth largest city in Idaho is addressing defensive tactics training, police recruitment, law enforcement leadership and community engagement. Chief Schei has a widespread training background that includes the FBI National Academy, FBI Command College, and several other leadership courses. His management certificate in high liability instruction thr...
Oct 15, 2021•36 min•Ep. 298
The City of Irving (Texas) Shop Talk program is a community outreach program designed for residents who would not normally attend community town halls but have a desire and need to have their voices heard. The program provides police officers with the opportunity to talk with barber shop clients and workers to facilitate honest and genuine dialog and may be a vehicle that helps build trust in communities. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley chats with Irving PD Officer Jon Plunk...
Oct 08, 2021•33 min•Ep. 297
