ATO: BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

Episode 68 Documentary Photographer and Visual Mediator Richard Sharum “Obsession with Time” Welcome back ATO family as today we present the story of a true visionary in the documentary photographer Richard Sharum. Guest cohosts are Dallas Police Major Nathan Swyers and Dallas Police Homicide Detective Andrea Isom. Richard Sharum is a documentary and project-centered photographer based in the Dall...

Episode 67 Dallas Police (Ret.) Major Leroy Quigg ”It took God to close his eyes in order for him to see…” Welcome back ATO family and please welcome on a piece of Dallas PD history in Leroy Quigg. Leroy, curly top, Quigg joined the Dallas Police Department in 1992 and quickly volunteered for the Dallas Gang Unit, during the height of the rise of gangs in Dallas Texas. From 1993 to 2004 he was an...

Episode 66 US Marshal Chris White Part Two: Electric Boogaloo ”You are not alone…..” Former Dallas PD turned U.S. Marshal -  Chris White returns to the podcast for a second episode to talk about the US Marshal C.I.R.T (Critical Incident Response Team) that responds to critical incidents across the country for the Marshal Service. CIRT members are trained personnel and are peers that are of high ch...

Welcome back ATO family as we bring you the Tenth Message from the Host. And today we sit down with a true patriot in Todd Boeding from the Carry the Load Podcast, Lessons from the Front. Their podcast can be heard on all streaming platforms as they have on service members from all branches of military and all first responders to tell their incredible stories of resiliency. The Carry the Load Foun...

Episode 65 Dallas Police Department SWAT Sergeant Andre Taylor #7752  “Trust God, Clean House, Serve Others”  The Assist the Officer Foundation sits down with an incredibly accomplished and unique individual today in Sgt. Andre Taylor of Dallas SWAT. As Dre grew up in the South side of Chicago, he regularly witnessed acts of violence but also witnessed an incredible community and family as his mot...

The ATO is proud to welcome 911 Calltaker/Police/Fire/Teletype Dispatch Supervisor Gillian Ethridge to the stage to shed some light on one of the most crucial components to the first responder world: communications. Gillian was born in Dallas in 1988 and she and her family moved to Fairfax, Virginia where she had dreams of becoming a firefighter as a teen and some of the best times of her life was...

Episode 63 Dallas Police Joey Arvizu #10624 Today’s story time features a true warrior and an incredibly kind human being that also happens to be a Dallas Police Officer. Jose Julian Arvizu hired on with the Dallas Police Department in 2013 and spent most of his time at the Southeast Division (God’s Country) and quickly gained a reputation as being a by the book officer and natural born leader. Th...

Episode 62 Ret. Dallas Officer Gretchen Rocha  " Live Simple, Live Brave, and Live Kindly"  Welcome back ATO Family today’s episode has a lot of moving parts and includes a lot of heartache, inspiration, healing and the survival. Gretchen Rocha tells her unique story of growing up in Wisconsin as she was raised in the fundamental independent Baptist culture and learned resiliency at an early age....

Welcome back ATO family as we bring you the ninth Message from the Host. This will be our Kevin James Clayshoot Edition as we sit down with one of the organizers of this great event in Dallas SWAT Lt. Kevin Campbell. Lt. Campbell currently commands the SWAT Unit and has been instrumental in planning and organizing the annual KJ Clay Shoot that benefits the Assist the Officer Foundation. To registe...

Episode 61 Dallas SWAT Matthew Smith #7765 “Don’t get left in Virginia” ATO friends, you are in for a treat.  We sat down with the not so ordinary man with an ordinary name.  Senior Corporal Matt Smith talks about how his East Texas upbringing helped forge the discipline that has defined him throughout his police career.  Matt joined the Dallas Police Department in 1999.  He was assigned to the No...

Bob’s World Segment  This is special bonus episode so our ATO family can hear the Great Bob Sturm on his own show, The Hardline, discussing his experience on the ATO: Bridging the Divide Podcast. The radio station, The Ticket, is iconic in the sports talk world and has won the top award for radio station of the year four times. Bob is a good friend and longtime first responder supporter as he come...

Episode 60 Dallas Police Department’s Bryan Candelaria #9294 and Gabriel Candelaria #9326 The Dallas Island Boys The Assist the Officer Foundation welcomes on the Dallas Police Department’s identical twin brothers in Bryan and Gabriel Candelaria. Hailing from the 305, Miami Florida, they do embody the flavor of South Florida as they grew up in the fast- paced post cocaine cowboy era of Miami. They...

Episode 59 Dallas Police Department Major Mark Harris #7877 ”The craziest rage I’ve ever felt in my life” Today the ATO crew is sitting with a genuine individual and true professional to discuss the “Charlie Brown Effect”. Dallas Major Mark Harris grew up in St Louis and found the love of his life Yvonne before joining the United States Marine Corp as he started his life of service.  From 1986-198...

Episode 58 Dallas Police Homicide Unit Detective Andrea Isom # 9272 The Dallas Police Department’s Homicide Unit is incredibly rich in history. The Homicide and Robbery Unit, under Captain J.W. Fritz, was considered the elite unit of the Dallas Police Department as it investigated high profile crimes like the Texas Eyeball Killer, the pastor Walker Railey, and the murder of President John F. Kenne...

Episode 57 Bob Gorsky of Lyon, Gorsky, & Gilbert LLP. Texas Super Lawyer  When Police are put into a position to use deadly force or they have incurred an injustice they may have to make a phone call for help.  For over 45 years attorney Bob Gorsky has picked up the phone when first responders call in need of help. Members of the Dallas Police Association, Dallas PD’s largest association,  and...

Hello ATO family On the eve of releasing the Great Bob Gorsky episode I want to drop our latest message from the host. This is no ordinary message as we are proud to sit down with a true first responder supporter in the creator of The Officer Next Door Page. The father of this page likes to remain anonymous so we will respect his wishes but his former Dallas PD friends and family know the real man...

Episode 56 TMPA Field Services Supervisor and Retired Garland Texas Detective Clint McNear Today’s episode is with a third generation Texas Law Enforcement and a true voice and advocate for all police officers across the country. Clint grew up in Plano Texas and was the son of long time Dallas Police Department Homicide Detective Stan McNear. He joined the Marines and became an MP to begin his lon...

Episode 55 – Dr. Alex Eastman R298 The ATO brings you a different perspective today with an episode all about Doctor Alexander Eastman. Oftentimes people find a level of success and become comfortable with their positions in life.  They rest on their laurels and allow their previous accomplishments to define them.  Alexander Eastman is not one of those people. Growing up outside of Washington DC,...

A MESSAGE FROM THE HOST VII  YEAR IN REVIEW This will be our 7th Message from the Host with Joe King and Kent Wolverton as we say farewell to 2022 and welcome 2023 with open arms. We are extremely grateful for our loyal listeners. We want to say thank you to some of our day one listeners and also welcome our new members. The Assist the Officer Foundation if proud to announce a sponsorship with the...

Episode 54 Dallas Police Gordon Fulton #10785 “Walking on a razors edge “ Today’s story is a unique journey of heartbreak, darkness, accountability and redemption as this guest truly battled that demon in a bottle. The Dallas Police recently created a policy to assist officers that are struggling with alcoholism to come forward and seek help and have full support from the Dept. More importantly, i...

Episode 53 Shelby Houston In Memory of Richard Houston On December 3rd, 2021, Richard Houston, a 21-year Mesquite PD veteran, answered a domestic disturbance call and tragic events unfolded and he did not make it home that night. Being a family member or a friend of a first responder can be very rewarding as you have a front row seat of a true servant, a role model, and a hero. However, tragedy ca...

Episode 52 Bob Sturm of the Ticket’s The Hardline Welcome back to the show ATO family. This episode the Assist the Officer Foundation sits down with the Sturminator himself, Bob Sturm of KTCK The Ticket. Bob is a long time first responder supporter as he has a unique family connection with various types of law enforcement across the country. Bridging the Divide host Joe has maintained a friendship...

Welcome back ATO fans as this message comes from the site of the 8th Annual Desperados Restaurant Golf Tournament benefiting the Assist the Officer Foundation.  Today we are live from this incredible event and had on Desperados Mexican Restaurants Ameet Somaney who tells the listener why they support first responders with such passion.  We also have on other supporters such as Legends Fit, Hoist h...

Episode 51 Dallas SWAT Hostage Negotiator JD Byas ***Warning graphic content discussed involving suicide *** The Assist the Officer Foundation gets many requests from across the country on guests and topics and one common topic we keep getting is to have on a hostage negotiator. The Dallas PD SWAT Unit has several members trained in hostage negotiations however they have on a very “seasoned” veter...

Episode 50 Chief Doug Kowalski  Special THANK YOU to the ATO family and friends as we release our landmark episode in, fittingly, our Big 5-0. The Assist the Officer Foundation is proud to release our 50th episode and capture a true piece of Dallas Police and Texas law enforcement history in this story. Doug Kowalski moved to Texas and joined the Dallas Police Department in 1977, where he advanced...