Policing Matters

As agencies face an unprecedented surge in digital evidence — from body-worn cameras and surveillance systems to cell phones and social media — the question is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to use it responsibly. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley explores how AI can help investigators manage evidence at scale, streamline time-consuming processes and improve case outcomes while keeping decision-making firmly in human hands. Dudley is joined by Kelly Inabnett, a former sex crimes and human trafficking detective with the Antioch Police Department, and Jon Gacek, senior vice president and general manager of Veritone’s public sector business unit. Drawing on investigative and technology perspectives, they break down how evidence volume has evolved over the past two decades, where investigators are losing time, and how AI can assist with tasks like video analysis, data organization, redaction and case linkage — without compromising accuracy, oversight or trust.   About our guests   Jon G

Every agency talks about tactics — training harder, shooting better, moving faster. But when critical incidents unfold, the difference between success and failure often comes down to something less visible. On this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Jon Becker, founder of Aardvark Tactical and host of The Debrief podcast, about why culture — not tactics — is the true driver of elite performance in law enforcement. Drawing on nearly four decades working alongside elite military and law enforcement units, Becker explains how the best teams operate with a shared sense of purpose, humility and continuous improvement. From SWAT selection to patrol supervision, he breaks down how agencies often overvalue measurable skills like fitness and certifications while overlooking the traits that sustain performance — trust, communication and team alignment. As Becker prepares to release his book, “Culture First: Nine Leadership Principles That Build Elite Teams,” he outlines how leaders at

Editor’s Note: Join Lexipol, Police1 and our partners for First Responder Wellness Week from March 23-27, 2026. Each day, we’ll provide webinars, articles, videos and more, all within the overarching theme of being “Total Wellness. True Readiness.” Register for five wellness webinars now. We say it all the time — our people are our greatest asset. But if that’s true, why do we spend more time maintaining vehicles than we do maintaining the people driving them? In this special episode of the Policing Matters episode, Aaron Zamzow from FireRescue1’s Better Every Shift podcast takes over to talk to Gordon Graham about what’s missing in how agencies approach wellness, leadership and long-term performance — and what needs to change. From the stigma around mental health to the reality of financial stress and leadership blind spots, Gordon keeps it simple and direct. Take care of your people early, or deal with the consequences later. His “10 Fs” framework isn’t theory — it’s a practical way to think about how first

What happens when a key less-lethal tool disappears from the public order toolbox? A recent federal court order halting LAPD’s use of 40mm projectile launchers has reignited a national debate about crowd control, use of force policy and the limits of modern policing. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley sits down with Joshua Coleman of the California Force Instructors Association and retired Berkeley Police Captain Spencer Fomby, Chair of the National Tactical Officers Association’s Public Order Section, to unpack the ruling and its broader implications for agencies across the country. Drawing on decades of experience in protest response, use-of-force training and courtroom testimony, Coleman and Fomby explore how removing intermediate force options can leave officers with fewer safe alternatives when protests turn violent. They discuss the training gaps that often lead to misuse of less-lethal tools, the growing influence of litigation and policy reform on police tactics, and the

We talk constantly about training in law enforcement, but are we investing enough in leadership? Tactical skills are reinforced from the academy through specialty assignments, yet the challenges facing today’s agencies demand more than operational competence. Ethical judgment, resilience, culture building and strategic thinking are now mission-critical. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley sits down with leaders from three major agencies who decided to tackle that gap together. Chief Paul Noel of the Knoxville Police Department, Deputy Chief Emily McKinley of the Louisville Metro Police Department and Captain Michael Vaughn of the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department break down the creation of the Tri-City Police Leadership Academy. They discuss how the idea evolved from the DC Police Leadership Academy, how three chiefs aligned on vision and funding, what three weeks of “future-focused leadership” actually looks like, and how the program is shaping sergeants, lieutenants and professional

When the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to Kansas City, the operational impact will extend far beyond the stadium. Surrounding communities like Overland Park, Kansas, are preparing for large-scale watch parties, transportation hubs and an influx of international visitors — all while maintaining day-to-day patrol operations. In this episode of Policing Matters, Major Kyle Livengood of the Overland Park Police Department talks with host Jim Dudley about how his agency is coordinating with local, state and federal partners to build a comprehensive safety and security plan for one of the world’s largest sporting events. The discussion explores staffing constraints, intelligence sharing through regional fusion centers, the launch of a new real-time information center and the challenges of managing heat, alcohol and language barriers during a global event. It also underscores the “team of teams” approach guiding preparations across the Kansas City metro and the lessons agencies nationwide can apply to capacity planning,

Every agency has them – the problems that keep the chief’s phone ringing and the community demanding action. The instinct may be to borrow a strategy from a neighboring department or pull a promising model off a research website. But turning theory into practice is rarely plug-and-play. On this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Lt. Matt Barter of the Manchester (New Hampshire) Police Department about applying hotspot policing research to quality-of-life issues – and what agencies can learn when the results aren’t what they expected. Barter’s team targeted high-call areas for quality-of-life complaints using scheduled 15-minute hotspot patrols, density mapping and matched comparison areas. Officers increased directed patrol activity by roughly 80%, engaged businesses and focused on place-based prevention. Calls declined in the target areas – but they declined even more in untreated comparison areas. The takeaway: Without a true counterfactual, agencies risk declaring success

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley sits down with Brenda Tate, a trailblazer whose 40-year career with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police unfolded at a time when few women wore the badge and even fewer Black women were in uniform. Tate reflects on breaking barriers in the 1970s while navigating racism, sexism, personal loss and addiction — experiences she chronicles in her memoir, “Journal of a Black Woman in Blue: Navigating Abuse, Addiction, Racism, and Society.” Her story offers a candid look at survival, service and what it takes to rebuild trust, purpose and identity in policing. Handpicked for both witness protection and dignitary protection, Tate earned the confidence of department leadership during some of Pittsburgh’s most challenging years. She helped establish the city’s witness protection unit amid escalating gang violence, applying both tactical skill and lived experience to protect vulnerable witnesses. Later, her work in dignitary protection placed her alongside presi

In 1990, New York City was a place many Americans were afraid to enter, let alone police. More than 2,600 homicides in a single year, open-air drug markets, violent subway platforms and neighborhoods ruled by fear defined daily life. What followed would become one of the most debated eras in modern policing — aggressive enforcement strategies, the expansion of stop, question and frisk, and a leadership-driven push to reclaim the streets. Decades later, those years are still argued in classrooms, courtrooms and police roll calls across the country. On this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley is joined by NYPD Detective Tom Smith, who lived that history from the inside. Smith joined the department in 1990 and was assigned to West Harlem’s 30th Precinct, one of the city’s busiest and most dangerous commands at the time. From anti-crime plainclothes work and gun arrests to major narcotics investigations, DEA task force operations and a post-9/11 deployment to Afghanistan, Smith’s career spans

Running a jail can feel like a fixed equation: hire staff, manage the facility, keep order, repeat. But Pinal County (Arizona) Sheriff Ross Teeple decided the “that’s just how incarceration is” mindset was fueling the same cycle of violence, lockdowns and repeat offenders. His response was as simple as it was controversial: open an entire pod 24/7, pull the detention deputy out of direct supervision, and see whether a responsibility-based model could change behavior, culture and outcomes. The experiment became the focus of Netflix’s “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment” and sparked a larger conversation about what risk leadership looks like inside corrections. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley talks with Teeple about how the plan moved from idea to execution, including stakeholder meetings, staff skepticism, and safeguards designed to keep deputies and inmates safe while still testing a real operational shift. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerSto

Most agencies have a communications plan — until the plan becomes the incident. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley digs into a reality many departments don’t fully plan for: what happens when cellular networks overload, land mobile radio coverage breaks down and agencies struggle to communicate at the very moment demand is highest. Jim is joined by LAPD Commander Randy Goddard, the acting commanding officer and chief information officer for the department’s Information Technology Bureau. Goddard also served as an incident commander during the Palisades fire and will lead LAPD’s Incident Management Team 1 for upcoming global events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He explains what unified command looked like when key systems failed, why “coverage” is not the same as “capacity,” and what redundancy and manual backups need to look like in modern policing. Commander Goddard is a featured contributor to Police1’s “26 on 2026: A police leade

Every officer remembers that first call where nothing went according to plan. Voices raised, emotions running hot and no checklist that fully fits the moment. Policing demands more than memorized scripts and policy citations. It requires presence, awareness and the ability to read a room in real time. On this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, we explore why those human skills matter more than ever and how officers can develop them without sacrificing professionalism or safety. Jim Dudley is joined by Sergeant Alex Mann of the Norfolk County (Mass.) Sheriff’s Office in Massachusetts, author of “The Law of Improv for First Responders.” With nearly three decades in corrections and more than a decade performing improv and stand-up comedy, Mann has developed a training approach that blends improv principles with real-world law enforcement communication. His work focuses on presence, adaptability and intentional action, helping officers navigate high-stress encounters, mental health crises and everyday confl

When a hiker goes missing, the public often pictures helicopters and grid searches. Former National Park Service protection ranger and author Andrea Lankford says the reality is more complicated and more human: one-person patrols hours from backup, perishable rope and medical skills, families living in limbo, and a growing ecosystem of online sleuths and volunteer searchers who sometimes find what agencies miss. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Lankford about what “the thin green line” looks like in practice and what her investigation into three Pacific Crest Trail disappearances taught her about technology, teamwork and trust. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is brought to you by LVT, the mobile surveillance solution trusted by public-sector leaders nationwide. LVT’s solar-powered mobile surveillance units put eyes and AI analytics where fixed cameras can’t — parking lots, remote borders, disaster zones, and large events. Agencies using LVT have

Real time information centers are quickly becoming the connective tissue between technology and patrol, pulling together tools like drones as first responders, automated license plate readers, fixed-camera networks, CAD and intelligence platforms to turn incoming data into decisions officers can use in the moment. The result is a shift from reactive updates to proactive situational awareness, with centers helping agencies track suspects without high-risk pursuits, tighten response decisions and support broader public safety missions. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley talks with Nikki Bell, RTIC manager with the Vacaville Police Department, and Andrea Cortez, RTIC manager with the Elk Grove Police Department. Bell brings 25 years in public safety, including early experience as a single-seat dispatcher in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, that shaped her focus on resourcefulness, operational empathy and “many hats” staffing. Cortez draws from an intelligence analysis background, applying the

Ohio’s public safety challenges look like much of the country’s: violent crime concentrated among a small group of repeat offenders, the ongoing overdose crisis, and agencies asked to do more with fewer people. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley talks with Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson about how the state is pushing proactivity over reaction, using analysts and technology to build stronger cases, and flexing statewide assets like aviation and specialized units to help local agencies disrupt shootings, recover illegal guns, and reduce harm before the next call comes in. Wilson brings a prosecutor’s mindset to a statewide job. Before being appointed in December 2022 by Gov. Mike DeWine to lead the Ohio Department of Public Safety, he served as an attorney and elected prosecutor, building cases shoulder-to-shoulder with detectives and staying close to the realities of street-level policing. Today he oversees 10 divisions, nearly 4,000 employees, and a $2.5 billion budget

In public safety training, stress is not a side effect; it is part of the curriculum. The hard question is how to introduce it at the right time, at the right intensity, in a way that improves decision-making without turning scenarios into predictable check-the-box drills. A recent study from Texas State University’s ALERRT takes aim at a core debate by asking whether virtual reality can trigger the kind of acute-stress response officers feel in high-fidelity, in-person scenarios, and what that could mean for training quality, consistency and scale. M. Hunter Martaindale is the director of research and an associate research professor at the ALERRT Center at Texas State University where he leads applied research on police performance, decision-making, and stress in high-risk environments. In this episode of Policing Matters, he breaks down his team’s study comparing biomarkers and self-reported stress in a high-fidelity active attacker scenario versus a VR version built to match the live scenario as closely as

For years, every police conference, report and panel has hammered on about recruitment and retention best practices, especially when it comes to Gen Z. Yet at too many career fairs, the reality still looks the same: two tired cops standing behind a table of keychains and water bottles, hoping the next generation will somehow be inspired. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley explores how one big-city agency is finally breaking out of that pattern — blending modern marketing, faster testing pipelines and smarter academy support to turn interested prospects into successful officers. Today’s guest, San Francisco Police Department Captain Sean Frost, is a 20-year veteran whose roots are in street-level policing — patrol, fugitive recovery and investigations — and now leads SFPD’s recruitment efforts. Backed by the mayor’s office, the city’s innovation team and private-sector partners, Frost is piloting new strategies to find qualified candidates, support them through the academy and field training,

On this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley tackles one of the most painful — and often avoided — topics in law enforcement: the sexual harassment and discrimination women still face on the job. Drawing on a national Police1 survey of more than 500 female police officers, the conversation explores what the data shows about repeat offenders, fear of retaliation and the toll on trust, morale and public confidence when agencies fail to act. To unpack the findings, Jim is joined by Professor Terry Dwyer — the attorney, former New York State Trooper and Police1 columnist who authored the survey and accompanying analysis. Dwyer brings decades of research on workforce behavior and accountability to help clarify what the numbers reveal about culture, leadership and reporting. Later, Sheriff’s Detective Carryn Barker from San Mateo County, California, shares her own experience reporting harassment and sexual assault by a supervisor — a case that led to one of the largest known settlements of its k

The stress of policing doesn’t end at the station door. While officers shoulder trauma, long hours and unpredictable shifts, their families carry the unseen weight at home — the worry, the schedule changes, the emotional whiplash and the silence. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley sits down with Katherine Boyle who lived that reality as a child. She explains how police work shapes family life in ways officers often underestimate and offers practical guidance for staying connected, communicating openly and protecting the well-being of spouses and children. Katherine, known to many as “the lieutenant’s daughter,” is an advocate for law enforcement kids and families and the host of Beyond the Uniform with the LT’s Daughter. As the daughter of a longtime Philadelphia police lieutenant who served in special victims, she brings a rare dual perspective — the civilian child who grew up inside a police household and the adult who now works to bridge communication gaps between officers and

For most officers, retirement is a finish line they measure in days and years, but few are ready for what happens when the radio goes silent and the badge comes off for good. And recently, that reality hit home nationwide when a Police1 article on police retirement went viral, striking a nerve with thousands of current and former officers. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley talks with a retired deputy chief about the fear, isolation and loss of relevance many officers feel after they leave the job, and what agencies and officers can do now to make that transition healthier for cops and their families. Jason Kates started his law enforcement career with the Oak Brook (Illinois) Police Department in 1992, rising through the ranks to sergeant, lieutenant and eventually deputy chief before retiring in 2021. A Marine Corps veteran, Kates now hosts “My Journey With the Badge,” a podcast and YouTube channel where he interviews retired officers about their careers, the trauma they carry