Cops and Writers Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast bonus series, retired Milwaukee Police Sergeant Patrick O'Donnell reads Chapter 31, "All-City Assist," from his upcoming book: Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos, & Life as a Big City Cop Rachel and Patrick are processing a routine arrest at District Five when the radio crackles to life: "245...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back everyone for the conclusion to my interview with retired Central Florida Sheriff Deputy Michael Dilks.  Mike is a retired Deputy Sheriff and Police Officer with 23 years with experience in patrol, investigations, and undercover narcotics.  Mike was a member of SWAT, the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, the DEA Narcotics Task Force and supervised a Street Cr...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast bonus series, retired Milwaukee Police Sergeant Patrick O'Donnell reads Chapter 28, "Wow! That's Realistic!" from his upcoming book: Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos, & Life as a Big City Cop It's 2:00 AM at District Five. Patrick and his partner Rachel are processing an arrest when a...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome, everyone to part one of my interview with retired Central Florida Sheriff's Deputy Michael Dilks. The conclusion of this interview will air next Sunday! Mike is a retired Deputy Sheriff and Police Officer with 23 years of experience in patrol, investigations, and undercover narcotics.  Mike was a member of SWAT, the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, the DEA...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast, retired Milwaukee Police Sergeant Patrick O'Donnell reads Chapter 18, Cannibal Dad, from his upcoming book: Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos, & Life as a Big City Cop Fresh off probation and officially a "real cop," Patrick rides for the first time without a senior officer alongside his academy...

Send us Fan Mail What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Not today. Welcome back, everyone, to the conclusion of my interview with retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant Jenn Benjamins.  Jenn Benjamins is a retired sergeant from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department with nearly 22 years of real-world experience in patrol, case investigations, and covert/undercover operation...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast , retired Milwaukee Police Sergeant Patrick O’Donnell reads Chapter 12, Pistol Packing Grandma Moses, from his upcoming book: Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos, & My Life as a Big City Cop While still a rookie cop "warhorsing" (filling in for other officers), Patrick partners with DJ, a 6'5"...

Send us Fan Mail What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Not today. Welcome, everyone, to part one of my interview with retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant Jenn Benjamins. The conclusion of this interview will be next Sunday! Jenn Benjamins is a retired sergeant from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department with nearly 22 years of real-world experience in patrol, case inves...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast , retired Milwaukee Police Sergeant Patrick O’Donnell reads the Introduction and Chapter 1, Baptism By Fire! from his upcoming book: Police Stories: The Rookie Years — True Crime, Chaos, & My Life as a Big City Cop These are true stories from Patrick’s first years working the streets of Milwaukee during the height of the crack wa...

Send us Fan Mail Hey everyone! Today, we are going north, way north, to the last frontier, Anchorage, Alaska, with Author and retired Anchorage Police Officer Doug Fifer. And we are getting kinky.  Doug Fifer is a retired Alaskan police officer who specialized in crime scene analysis, deviant sexual crimes, hostage negotiations, and various special assignments throughout his twenty-five-year caree...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome, everyone, to a special Cops and Writers Podcast. Due to the nature and timing of our topic today, I released this episode early. Back in late October, retired DEA Agents (legends) Steve Murphy, Wes Tabor, and Chris Feistl predicted on the Cops and Writers Podcast episodes 250 and 251, that the U.S. would take the fight to Maduro and attack on land. On January 3, 2026, the...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back, everyone, for the conclusion of my interview with Author and retired FBI Special Agent Seamus McElearney. Séamus McElearney began his distinguished career with the FBI in 1998, joining Squad C-10 of the New York Organized Crime Branch. Tasked with investigating the Bonanno and DeCavalcante crime families—infamously known as “the real Sopranos.” In December 1999, he w...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome, everyone, to part one of my interview with Author and retired FBI Special Agent Seamus McElearney. Come back next Sunday for the conclusion of my interview with Seamus. Séamus McElearney began his distinguished career with the FBI in 1998, joining Squad C-10 of the New York Organized Crime Branch. Tasked with investigating the Bonanno and DeCavalcante crime families—infam...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome everyone to a very special Cops and Writers with my friend Ian Bick. Back in November, I visited Ian at his studio in Connecticut, where Ian interviewed me (That episode went live on 12-16-25 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-in-with-ian-bick/id1662286355?i=1000741596571 ,   https://open.spotify.com/episode/7EWrquIqAYL4z0FbW3xDE0?si=39oDYHc3SEGiwBT8udhxhw , http...

Send us Fan Mail Hey cops and writers, thanks for being here with us today for another episode of the Cops and Writers podcast! I’m Patrick O’Donnell, and I will be your host for today’s show. Before I start, can I ask you all a favor? If you are enjoying this podcast, could you please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? It is so important, thank you. This show is listener suppo...

Send us Fan Mail Hey cops and writers, thanks for being here with us today for another episode of the Cops and Writers podcast! I’m Patrick O’Donnell, and I will be your host for today’s show. Before I start, can I ask you all a favor? If you are enjoying this podcast, could you please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? It is so important, thank you. This show is listener-suppo...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back, everyone, to the conclusion of my interview with former Assistant District Attorney, Police Superintendent, Professor, Podcaster, and Author Patrick Welsh. Pat Welsh was an ADA turned cop. During his distinguished career, he rose through the ranks to become superintendent of the Dayton Police Department. He worked and supervised in patrol, investigations, including n...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome everyone to part one of my interview with former Assistant District Attorney, Police Superintendent, Professor, Podcaster, and Author Patrick Welsh. Pat Welsh was an ADA turned cop. During his distinguished career, he rose through the ranks to become superintendent of the Dayton Police Department. He worked and supervised in patrol, investigations, including narcotics and...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back, everyone, for the conclusion of my interview with Army Veteran, retired Sheriff Deputy, and host of the popular Antihero podcast, Tyler Hoover. Tyler Hoover is a United States Army Airborne Infantry Iraq War Veteran, having served with the esteemed 82nd Airborne Division. After serving his country in the army, he continued serving as a sheriff's deputy in two di...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome everyone to part one of my interview with Army Veteran, retired Sheriff Deputy, and host of the popular Antihero podcast, Tyler Hoover. Tyler Hoover is a United States Army Airborne Infantry Iraq War Veteran, having served with the esteemed 82nd Airborne Division. After serving his country in the army, he continued serving as a sheriff's deputy in two different counti...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back, everyone, for the conclusion of my interview with retired DEA Special Agents Steve Murphy, Chris Feistl, and Wes Tabor as we talk about recent maritime operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific involving the U.S. Navy eliminating drug running vessels. Here’s a little bit about these legends in the DEA. DEA Special Agent Wes Tabor was embedded in Venezuela, batt...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome, everyone, to a special Cops and Writers Podcast. Since September, the US Navy has destroyed at least 10 vessels that were suspected of carrying illegal drugs headed for the United States, mostly in the Caribbean near Venezuela. I have heard so many opinions on this from ‘experts’, I'm using air quotes, and I wanted to get the true story. My mind went immediately to m...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back, everyone, for the conclusion of my interview with Army Veteran, former Wichita Police Officer, Stuntman, Actor, DJ, Standup Comic, and Author Duane Michaels. Duane is focusing his energy these days on making it as an actor in Hollywood, along with writing his most recent book, Cop Ink: Donuts, Decapitation & Dumpster Sex. Real Calls That Will Make You Laugh, Cry...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome everyone to part one of my interview with Army Veteran, former Wichita Police Officer, Stuntman, Actor, DJ, Standup Comic, and Author Duane Michaels. Judging by how many things Duane has done and is doing, one episode wouldn’t have done him justice. Duane is focusing his energy these days on making it as an actor in Hollywood, along with writing his most recent book, Cop I...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to a bonus episode of the Cops And Writers Podcast, where the tables, or mics, are turned. Today on this special Author Spotlight, I’m being interviewed by book coach and editor, Lori Puma. A little about Lori: Lori Puma helps authors write novels that inspire readers to skip bathroom breaks and survive on chips and salsa. She started her writing career by publishing scien...