Policing Matters

The "Small Town Dicks" podcast follows big-time crime in Small Town, USA, with each episode featuring the detectives who broke the case in their small town, and includes assets like jailhouse phone calls, suspect interviews and 9-1-1 calls to explore the case from all angles. The show is anchored by veteran, identical-twin detectives Dan and Dave, retired cold case investigator and "New York Times...

In light of serious problems in our schools – from student disruptions, fights, even stabbings and shootings – are we doing enough to maintain the peace in our schools without getting caught up in administrative infractions? In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by L3Harris , host Jim Dudley speaks with Jerrie  Newport, one of three Threat Assessment Coordinators for the NEWES...

Law enforcement recruiting is an issue we have been scrambling to address across the country. Our guest today has some ideas that have been put into action with some great initial results. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by Staccato , host Jim Dudley speaks with Marvin "Ben" Haiman, who serves as the Chief of Staff for the Metropolitan Police Department , about how the a...

The movies show us exactly how hostage negotiation works. Cut to the helicopters, searchlights, the holed-up hostage taker and the hostage negotiator approaching on foot, arms extended, without cover and wearing no protection aside from the nylon windbreaker that says “Hostage Negotiator” across the back. In reality, only a very small percentage of law enforcement officers become crisis negotiator...

We often talk about policing in urban areas on the show – from mid-sized cities to large metropolitan areas and all related issues confronting law officers. But in this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by Staccato , host Jim Dudley speaks with the sheriff of a large department in Arizona, located at the southernmost tip of the U.S. at the intersection border with New Mexico on th...

Front-line officers are the backbone of every law enforcement agency, and some officers have the ability to perform without second-guessing or unreasonable restrictions. Great leaders give those officers a degree of confidence and autonomy by providing them with the training and resources to lead every day.  In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by Staccato , host Jim Dudley s...

Law enforcement underwater sonar operations and recovery teams perform a variety of tasks, many of which are crucial to solving crimes, finding missing people and assisting in disaster situations In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by  Staccato , host Jim Dudley speaks to underwater recovery expert Ray Wichus who retired after nearly three decades as a Conservation Police Of...

Law enforcement officers may be first on scene to a mass casualty incident (MCI) and depending on the size, it may be overwhelming. Are we prepared to see the unthinkable? Do we know what our priorities should be? Do we know what our opposite numbers in fire, EMS and other responding agencies are doing? Our guests today have an answer to each of those questions. In this episode of the Policing Mat...

A critical incident can happen at any time, in any community, across the country. Sharing information about these incidents is one cog in the overall response wheel, but it’s one that cannot be overlooked. It’s crucial to effectively communicate both during and after a critical incident. Police1 is launching a new feature that dives into the communication response to some of the most significant i...

You’ve heard us talk about the stress that comes with the duties of being a law enforcement officer. Some situations are well beyond our control. Today – we are going to shift gears and talk about organizational stressors – or stress that comes from within the agency you may work for. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by Staccato , host Jim Dudley speaks with law enforceme...

Law enforcement's response to critical incidents is unique to the incident at hand. Our aim is to be well-prepared through comprehensive training, strategizing and practice in order to tackle a wide range of potential scenarios. There have been outstanding instances where these efforts have successfully converged, with acts of bravery playing a pivotal role in officers confronting active shooters...

National Police Week is nearly upon us across the country, but most notably at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by Staccato , host Jim Dudley speaks with National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) CEO Marcia Ferranto and  Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) Communications Director Sara Slone about h...

Law enforcement has faced some arduous challenges over the past few years – mostly external – but sometimes from within. How the challenges are handled is critical to the health of the agency.  We often mention leadership in the organization, in general terms, but what does it really mean? In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by  Staccato , host Jim Dudley speaks with Ross Sw...

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by Staccato , host Jim Dudley speaks with a legendary detective whose investigations may read like a crime novel, but his story is 100% non-fiction. Retired San Franciso Police Department Homicide Inspector Frank Falzon was active in solving some of the most heinous homicides of the 1970s and 1980s, including the Night Stalker case, the "Z...

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by  Staccato , host Jim Dudley speaks with Susan Norris, the founder of  Rescuing Hope , about the organization's mission to enlighten the public about sex trafficking in America, educate potential victims and first responders, and empower advocates and survivors.  ABOUT OUR SPONSOR This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought t...

If you've visited the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC, you will know it is a moving and powerful experience like no other. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) helps to oversee the operations of the memorial and puts on programs and seminars for public safety professionals across the board. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Ji...

In 2022, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office in central California received the NLEOMF’s Destination Zero Officer Wellness Award.  In this special episode of the Policing Matters podcast, which was recorded live on March 29 as part of  First Responder Wellness Week , host Jim Dudley speaks with Stanislaus County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse and Sergeant Aaron Costello about how to develop an effective w...

Recently, New Hampshire police chiefs came together to make a plea to lawmakers as departments continue to be plagued by staffing shortages statewide. The chiefs, including Hinsdale Police Chief Charles Rataj, told the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee that the required fitness test is making it difficult for departments to hire and retain officers. As a result, they’ve  proposed...

The headlines and news reports grab at our hearts when we hear of a school shooting. What can we be doing to protect our children in schools? On this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Dewey Cornell, a forensic and clinical psychologist known for his research on youth violence and school security, about considerations for law enforcement and educators when reviewi...

A barricaded suspect, possibly armed awaits inside his home. There may be a booby trap, or there may be hostages. After a shot is fired, the decision to send someone inside – or should we say, a drone – is made. Law enforcement is getting some interesting technology to help in tactical situations where our only options previously were to wait out the suspect in a siege or to send in officers.  On...

Officer injuries, whether they are personal or work-related, can be overwhelming, timely and costly. Injured officers should receive immediate attention and the best possible treatment so they can return to duty faster. At IACP 2022, Wausau Police Chief Benjamin Bliven and Tactical Athletic Trainer Traci Tauferner discussed the department’s program to help small agencies operate at their highest l...

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Jason Potts, who recently served on the Violent Crime Working Group with the Council of Criminal Justice , about using technology to address violent crime.  Potts is Chief of the City of Las Vegas Department of Public Safety. Previously he was a captain with the Vallejo Police Department, where he led the Department’s Ope...

In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with returning guest Katherine Schweit about new commonalities and trends in active shooter incidents. Schweit is a retired FBI special agent who was tagged by the FBI to create its Active Shooter program after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Since then, she's devoted her energy to helping prevent more tragedies. She is the aut...

This week saw the fifth anniversary of the February 14, 2018, shooting at  Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida , where an individual fatally shot 17 people and wounded 17 others. In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Dr. Peter Blair, the executive director of the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT)  center in Texas, about what...

A police bodycam video goes viral that shows an officer or two wrestling with a resistive suspect without much success. Then a shot is fired – or some other force causes extensive injury to the suspect. How can we prevent this from happening? In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Jay Wadsworth – a veteran LEO, 2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and lead instruc...