ATO: BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

As we finish out the year and are in the holiday season, we felt it was fitting to release a unique story of one of our own, Chris Langlois.  Chris is a veteran member of the Dallas Police Department and serves the citizens of Dallas but also has a life mission in honoring his grandfather and those who sacrificed so much to give this country the many liberties we all enjoy today. In 2001 HBO, Spie...

What a gift it is for this show to be able to sit down, again, with Crystal to update the listener on her growth and her journey. We presented her episode in 2022, and we learned about her life, joining the Dallas Police Department, and about that horrific day in April of 2018. A lot has happened since that episode, and our mics will always be open for this incredible warrior to continue her inspi...

The Assist the Officer Foundation welcomes Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux back to the mic to remind everyone that Dallas PD is the most proactive Department in the nation. Chief updates us on some new projects and initiatives and wanted to touch on some recent decisions he made and why he will always make his Department and the community they serve the top priority. We Are Dallas! #operationju...

It is an honor to sit down with retired Phoenix PD Detective Janicik EdD to discuss her life, career and a topic we cannot have enough education on, crimes against women. We will talk about how she turned personal tragedy into protecting women by raising awareness and educating on how these predators work and target women. Through her work in research, academia, and professional training, Cindy su...

Today we chat with the great Mike Wagers, Chief Customer Officer of Axon, to talk about the history of the global leader in public safety technology…the every growing company known as Axon. Mike walks us through the company’s history, from its roots in 1993, to now becoming the standard in law enforcement technology. In 1993, Founder Rick Smith, had a vision to reduce gun violence and prevent crim...

"Tough Times Don't Last, Tough People Do" We are honored to sit down with recently retired DFD Lt John Hampton as he wrapped up an amazing 25-year career. Growing up in Maryland, the son of a fireman, Lt Hampton knew he would go into a life of service as he entered the Army and joined the historic 82ndABN. After seeing combat action and developing his unique, hard-nosed leadership style he decided...

Today we sit down with former Arapahoe Deputy Sheriff and current Douglas County Sheriff in Colorado, and we discuss the epidemic of school shootings in America. We also want to stress the growing need for our schools to have resource officers in schools to protect what matters most to us….the children. James was on campus, as the SRO, at the Arapahoe High School on December 13th, 2013, when a dis...

Today we will hear from a name that has been mentioned in some recent episodes but has never been on the show to tell his story. The time has come to sit down with retired DEA Special Agent in Charge David Downing. Mr. Downing entered on duty with the DEA in 1995 as a member of Basic Agent Class 95. After graduating the academy in Quantico, Virginia, Mr. Downing served in various roles within DEA...

Today we unveil a new series of conversations we will have with Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux as we provide a platform for our Chief to deliver a message. Today’s conversation will cover his approach to leadership philosophy and expectations for the Dallas Police Department and its leaders. This is a very candid conversation on his recent promotions and how the selection process went and cons...

Today we want to honor Dallas Officer Darron Burks on the one-year anniversary of his tragic death as he was ambushed in South Central Dallas while on patrol. Darron’s brief Dallas Police service was cut short on August 29th, 2024, but after this incident we all got to know the true incredible human being Darron Burks was. He had a lifetime of service as a teacher and mentor. After his death we he...

Houstonian Alan Helfman, president of his family’s group of five  Helfman Auto Dealerships  (Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, RAM, and Fiat), giving back is in his DNA. Today share his story with the listener and dive into his true “why” as he continually gives back to various charities and has a heavy presence in assisting the first responder community. The Helfman Family has a legacy of giving and helping...

Today we sit down with Retired Oklahoma Highway Patrol Commander Brad Shepherd and guest cohost Courtney Runnels to pull back the curtain on a life and career of service.  No stories is without a lot of highs, lows, heartbreak, and successes. This episode will cover all of the above….and then some. Captain Brad Shepherd (Ret.) is the Director of Public Safety for Chateau Health & Wellness, a n...

Today we are honored to sit down with retired DEA Agent and Founder, lead facilitator of Wake Up/Level Up Margaret Bedolla. Margaret walks us through her journey, growing up the daughter of an Agent, and living abroad and being exposed to true poverty and the excitement of the hidden dangers of her father’s work in a different country. Starting the DEA at 24 she found herself working on the tragic...

We are honored to sit with the 31st Police Chief in the Dallas Police Departments nearly 150-year history, Chief Daniel Comeaux. Chief Comeaux is a 33-year law enforcement veteran, currently serving as Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Houston Field Division, overseeing 12 offices throughout Texas, including Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. His jurisdiction co...

Today we sit with the 18th Fire Chief in the Dallas Fire Departments storied history. Chief Justin Ball immigrated to the United States from England more than thirty years ago, joining the fire department in 1997. Chief has a bachelor’s degree in Fire Administration from Texas A&M and maintains certifications as a Master Firefighter, Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF), Fire Officer II, F...

Today we sit down with three familiar voices to the show to address an ongoing problem in the Dallas Police Department and the first responder profession. Welcome back on Sgt. Gordon Fulton and newly promoted Major Andre Taylor to have a discussion on the topic of alcohol use in the first responder community. After some incidents over the last few months the Wellness Unit wanted to reiterate the D...

Today we sit down with one of the Dallas Fire Department’s true leaders in Chief Greg Stoy as he enters his 40th year of service in the City of Dallas.  Dallas Fire and Rescue has an amazing national reputation as a world class fire department as it enters into its 153rd year. DFR is one of the few municipalities in the world to achieve the highest possible IOS rating, demonstrating its high-quali...

“Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself for the unacceptable” To further this show’s mission to change culture in the first responder profession in the realm of mental health maintenance, we have a roundtable with some of our highly trained ATO counselors. Conversations and education are key to normalizing and prioritizing our own mental health, especially in the very...

Today we are sitting with one of our East coast brothers in retired Braintree Massachusetts PD and founder of the KITT Foundation, Billy Cushing. Billy was a 17-year veteran of the Braintree Police Department where he served as a patrol K9 Handler for 10 of those years. He is a two-time recipient of the Geroge Hannah Award for Valor among other honors. In this episode Billy tells the story of his...

On a hot summer day in Dallas Texas, in an upscale Dallas restaurant and bar, a failure of a man would commit the largest mass murder in the City’s history by shooting seven people, killing six. Just after midnight on June 29th, 1984, Abdelkrim Belachheb took six lives at the Iannis Restaurant and Bar as he had an argument with one patron, Marcell Ford, as she turned away his advances. He then wou...

Welcome back to ATO story time with our Treasurer, Detective Justin Bowen #8522. Special guest cohost, NLLEO President, Juan Hernandez Jr. #8447 sits in to help tell this story. Juan and Justin rode together for years in the Southeast Division and continue their friendship to this day. This story will detail Detective Bowens career, their partnership and will highlight an awful night in March of 2...

Welcome back for another message from the hosts as we sit down with a BTD alum in Garland ICAC Detective Tony Godwin. Tony is here to talk about an organization that is near and dear to his heart, the National Law Enforcement Officer Hall of Fame. Detective Godwin was inducted himself and now his mission is to give back to this great organization. This message details this foundations origins and...

Today we do a podcast collaboration with our great friends at the TMPA, Clint McNear and Tyler Owen. This is a long overdue episode as we sit with two men that represent a great organization, the TMPA, to talk about our mutual mission in being there for our law enforcement brothers and sisters. We go behind the scenes in the Blue Grit podcast origins and also get to know the hosts and understand t...

Today’s episode will highlight one of this shows founding missions in truly connecting to people from all over. This guest has traveled over 1,800 miles to join us for this show to tell his story. Barnstable PD Officer Brandon Sanders has a unique story in his journey to policing as his childhood could have very well created a different path but it was a chance meeting of a young police officer th...

This episode will feature twin brothers that have dedicated their lives to the city of Dallas and to the police profession. However, their family name started here in Dallas in 1988 when their brother, Israel, joined the Dallas Police Department and immediately become a recruiter for his family. Next would be their cousin, Miguel, to join the PD and then these twin brothers. Saul and Sammy grew up...