Policing Matters

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.

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

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

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).

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.

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 th

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.

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 Co

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.

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.

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.

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 guidance. Jared has worked full-time in the church for over 25 years, has a long history of ministering to members of the military, law enforcement and other first responders, and started serving Kansas City (Kansas) Police Department as a police chaplain in 2018.  Jared focuses on the health and wellness of patrol officers and responds to unattended deaths such as homicides and suicides. He is also the host of the "Hey Chaplain" podcast.

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 epidemic Procedural justice Use of force

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 that prevent public safety personnel from getting help for mental health issues.

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 prevention for the federal government for 10 years as the Senior Specialist for Crime Prevention for the National Criminal Justice Reference Service and the Director of Information Services for the National Crime Prevention Council (both funded by the US Department of Justice). In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley chats with Leonard about understanding crime in America.

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 officer come true.

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 face from stress and cardiovascular disease.

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.

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.

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 Dudley chats with Police1 columnist Kathleen Dias, who writes features and news analysis on topics of concern to law enforcement professionals serving in rural and remote locations. She uses her background in writing, teaching and marketing to advocate for professional levels of training and equipment for rural officers, open channels of communication for isolated departments, and dispel myths about rural policing.