Policing Matters

Ghost guns are firearms that are privately assembled and untraceable. They can be assembled from "buy build shoot" kits or from other parts, or they can be 3D-printed. Unlike other guns, these weapons don't have serial numbers. Google “ghost guns” to see the ubiquity of them and that they have been used to assault law enforcement officers and commit crimes by people who most likely would not be ab...

The future of policing is in the hands of our best recruiting efforts. In a world where most careers have swift hiring procedures, why does law enforcement take up to nine months? Can we continue to rely on passive strategies like billboards to attract quality applicants?  In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with  Coach George Rush , a legend in the realm of col...

A critical incident causes a full-on agency response, perhaps it involves fatalities, or perhaps it involves the use of force. The scene is secured and the media creates a narrative about the event that is not quite right. Does your agency respond? Does your agency have a policy? How soon does the agency chief or sheriff explain the facts to the media and the public? In this episode of the Policin...

Imagine you are a law enforcement officer first on scene of a mass shooting, or a choking child, or another officer or civilian has been critically injured and needs immediate attention. Are you up to the task? Is it even something you have been trained to handle? In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by  Lexipol , host Jim Dudley speaks with Eric Thomas O'Neal about adding ye...

In this special crossover episode of the Policing Matters ,  Better Every Shift  and  Inside EMS podcasts, cohosts Jim Dudley, Aaron Zamzow and Chris Cebollero come together to discuss preserving the legacy of 9/11 responders and to assess our readiness to respond to a large-scale MCI in our communities. Together, they dive into technology trends used to improve the security of citizens and first...

In the sphere of public safety, we often overlook the crucial role of those people who answer 911 calls, gather necessary information, and relay it to law enforcement personnel. There's a vast amount of unseen work, and more often than not, the circumstances are filled with high stress. Carbyne , a leader in cloud-native emergency call management, in partnership with  NENA: The 9-1-1 Association ,...

Law enforcement officers may encounter situations where an individual may be unresponsive, appearing confused, agitated, or acting in a manner that doesn’t quite fit the situation. How can an assessment be made to help connect with this person? People with intellectual and developmental disabilities or IDD continue to be overrepresented in the criminal justice system as suspects, defendants and in...

Artificial intelligence technology  is impacting all aspects of our lives. In today's episode, sponsored by  Lexipol , host Jim Dudley speaks with  ZeroEyes ' Chief Customer Officer and Co-Founder Dustin Brooks about how his company uses AI to detect firearms.  ZeroEyes  is a proactive visual gun detection and situational awareness software platform based on computer vision and advanced machine le...

There is no question that advancements in technology are helping communities fight crime as the number of law enforcement officers continues to diminish. But are we the technology efficiently and effectively? Are we integrating various applications to address crime prevention? Can we do it in small, medium and large agencies, and in urban and rural areas? In this episode of the Policing Matters po...

The death of George Floyd in 2020 from the unlawful actions of a Minneapolis police officer sparked the  largest protests in U.S. history  – resulting in the erosion of community trust in law enforcement, particularly for youth. After connecting with distraught students who expressed confusion and fear at several organized protests in the summer of 2020, then Fremont Police Captain Sean Washington...

Ever walk the beat or head into a coffee shop and hear, “See that police officer over there? If you don’t behave, they will arrest you!” Most officers have heard a parent say those exact words to a wide-eyed child and it infuriates them. Wouldn’t it be great to have a positive image of police and deputies portrayed to children? In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, sponsored by Lexipol...

We often discuss the impact of vicarious trauma witnessed by public safety personnel. Not many in the profession joined with the intent of being mental health counselors to those on the street. The city of Aurora, Colorado has a series of programs that takes the pressure off law enforcement officers by pairing them with civilian mental health clinicians. In this episode of the Policing Matters pod...

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...