LEO Radio Podcast

The legal landscape surrounding marijuana continues to evolve, creating significant challenges for law enforcement agencies across the United States Whether your agency is in a state where marijuana remains prohibited or one where recreational cannabis is fully legal, police executives, command staff, policy writers, labor representatives, and risk managers must understand the implications of this...

When does a neighborhood problem become a police matter—and when is it simply an HOA enforcement issue? In this episode of LEORadio, I sit down with Mike Polulak of Polulak Law to discuss some of the most common community association and HOA-related issues that frequently generate calls for police service. Drawing from real-world examples, we explore the challenges faced by law enforcement officer...

Lieutenant Joey Sperlazza, Ed. S. is joined by J. Harris Academy of Police Training Instructor Lieutenant Collin Congleton, JD in LEO Radio Episode 32. Collin is a subject matter expert in Use of Force. Collin founded and now supervises the Force Investigation Unit for a major urban Police Department in New Jersey, is a United States Marine Corps combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a nea...

Description: Join instructor Joey Sperlazza as he breaks down NJ v Ruffin decided on 1/7/2025. This is an appellate Unpublished opinion that reaffirms a lot of what we already know about the important topic of Miranda. Do we need to advise a subject of their Miranda Rights during booking questions? What do we do if during a formal statement, a defendant says “Well, I want a Lawyer then&#8221...

PART 2 CONTINUES  on with the leadership lessons we learn through personal development.  In this episode, our instructor team continues with a review of  "Extreme Ownership".  For more information about our Command Series of leadership courses, visit our website at www.jharristraining.com Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win Author(s): Jocko Willink; Leif Babin Publisher: St. Martin...

Leadership is a critical aspect of success in any organization. When we recently read "Extreme Ownership", we recognized that we are reviewing many of these common leadership concepts in our classes.  This book reinforced our thoughts and theory on the practical application of leadership in law enforcement. Based on this, we decided to start our 'leadership series'. In Part 1, we review the first...

An officer is asking routine booking questions and discovers and injury on the suspect. The question about the injury leads to incriminating statements. Will the statement hold up in court? This is so critical, especially for this case of murder/homicide. This case is for information only as it was an interesting case involving routine booking questions.  It is not a binding case and is for guidan...

This podcast examines a recent “unpublished” case out of New Jersey regarding the questioning of a suspect and Miranda. Although this is out of New Jersey, we discuss the US Supreme Court Case regarding Edwards and the “Edwards Bright Line Rule” for questioning a suspect. Edwards v.  Arizona, 451 U. S.  477 State v. McLean , 205 N.J. 438, 16 A.3d 332 (N.J. 2011)

An officer makes a motor vehicle stop and a drug sniffing dog arrives to assist. During the exterior sniff, the police dog indicates on the car and then puts its paws up on the vehicle. The defendant is claiming that the dog did an unlawful search of the vehicle by placing it’s paws on the car.  The Idaho Supreme Court agreed.  This may now be heading to the United States Supreme Court. This...

On July 4, 2023, a truck driver was being stopped by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The incident led to a pursuit. Upon stopping, Ohio troopers were giving commands to the driver when an canine officer from the Circleville Police Department deployed his canine. The video has attracted a lot of nationwide attention.  Jim Harris, Collin Congleton, and Joey Sperlazza examine this incident in this pod...

Communication in an organization is difficult at all levels. Understanding the generational differences is one key factor in improving relationships and building morale. This is the first of many conversations about this topic.

A recent off-duty situation regarding a police chief stirs up controversy.  Officers being stopped are now questioning if they should or shouldn’t identify themselves.  Officers utilizing discretion when dealing with officers are second-guessing if their agency will back them up when they let an officer go for a minor violation.  This podcast will address the issue and discuss these items. R...

Miranda Warnings seem basic. They are stated loud and clear in TV shows and movies. However, the waters are getting muddy with when and how they should be provided to suspects.  Recent case law decisions out of New Jersey clarified some issues with regard to what the court will be reviewing when you are dealing with Miranda and your case. Although these cases stem from New Jersey, they do provide...

This episode of LEO Radio discusses the Toxic Employee within an organization and some strategies to deal with them or, at least, minimize their impact in the team environment.

In this episode, Jim Harris and Phil Rizzo explore morale within the law enforcement profession. This topic is a hot button item in all agencies across the US and was brought up again while on the road teaching one of the J. Harris Command Series Level 1: Developing First Line Supervisors courses.

We sit down with Dr. George Peters, licensed clinical psychologist and talk about the ins and outs of the entry-level psychological evaluation process. What do you need to know? How can this fit into your agency’s evaluation process? What will the police psychologist do for you; and what can’t they do?  

This episode was recorded LIVE at the Police and Security Expo in Atlantic City, NJ! We talk with Captain (ret.) Andrea Craparotta and her new program in Middlesex County, using history classes to integrate law enforcement with high-schoolers, discussing key issues in the Constitution and law, and improving understanding and relations on both sides. The program is called Educated Encounters, and i...

For our first episode of LEO Radio, we wanted to talk to the applicants, the future of the profession! What do you need to know about the hiring process? What can help you rise above the competition, or sink your chances at your dream career? We draw on the experience of cops who have supervised and managed hiring processes, and we share the tips, tricks, and strategies that top applicants use to...