Ep. 48 Joining me is Lt. Brandon James who has 24 years with the Seattle Police Department. Much of our conversation focuses on his role supervising the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the dedication of these detectives to saving our children from predators. I interviewed a detective in this unit more than a decade ago and that conversation has never left me. Brandon and I review the challenges for ICAC detectives in maintaining wellness considering what they are exposed to in these investigations.We begin the interview with a subject that I feel strongly about: the role of School Resource Officer which has come under attack and in some markets been fully eliminated. We look back at Brandon’s work as a school officer in Seattle middle and high schools and discuss the positive impact officers in this role can have in helping students one on one, as well as educating them about the true nature of police work.We then delve into Brandon’s work as an undercover detective in narcotics investigating both street-level drug dealing with SPD and high-level narcotics investigations with the FBI with whom he was a task force officer for ten years. We also cover the difficult subject of police corruption and the challenges for law enforcement when having to investigate and arrest one of their own, and how that can be done with sensitivity and compassion. As I always do, I ask what drew him to the profession, what the rewards have been and continue to be.Since being promoted to lieutenant, Brandon has become the commander of the Relational Policing Innovation team. Congratulations, Brandon! Your ongoing leadership will continue to be a great asset to SPD.I mention the Seattle Police Foundation’s fundraising for the ICAC yearly educational conference. Here is a link to get more information and if you so choose, to make a donation.https://seattlepolicefoundation.org/internet-crimes-against-children-conference/Thank you to ato bridging the divide and Eric2247 for your five-star reviews on Apple podcasts!And as always thank you for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Facebook: On Being a Police OfficerTwitter: @AbbyEllsworth13Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 47 Kent (WA) Police Department’s Sgt. Eric Tung, known to many of you through his Blue Grit Wellness platform, joins me today to look back on his 16 years in law enforcement, and to look toward the future not just for him and his department, but for all law enforcement with what I call “relentless optimism.” First, we take a look back at Eric's career which started in 2007, just two years before the 2009 ambush murders of Seattle PD Officer Timothy Brenton and of the Lakewood Four, as they are known. We discuss our shared experience of that difficult time and what was to me, the surprising connection between the Lakewood officers and Kent PD. We also reflect on the Line of Duty Death of one of Eric’s closest friends, Kent Police Officer Diego Moreno whose E.O.W. was five years ago this month. Eric also was in two critical incidents with his K9 Officer Kato, both times nearly losing Kato and his own life. As Designated Departmental Team Leader for Regional Valley Civil Disturbance Unit, Eric responded with this team to provide mutual aid to Seattle PD in response to years of annual May Day protests and ultimately to the 2020 riots. Eric used his passion for health and fitness to develop the Kent Police Department’s Wellness and Peer Support programs and as I mentioned, his own platform Blue Grit Wellness. He creates his own content online, writes articles for Police One and hosts his own podcast Blue Grit Radio. He currently is the Department’s Recruiting and Hiring Unit Supervisor.  I ask what drew him to law enforcement. His “why” has evolved over the years, but he reflects on several reasons including the influence of a strained, and later repaired, relationship with his dad. Now a father himself, he discusses being in a dangerous profession when you have a two-year-old at home, yet knowing there is a two-year-old out there who needs you, as I learn, quite literally.While we talk about the big incidents, the hard and heavy moments, we end with that “relentless optimism,” reflecting on how sometimes it’s in those small moments when you know as an LEO you have made a difference.  Thanks, Eric!You can find Eric on his website:https://www.bluegritwellness.com/On Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok @bluegritwellness. On LinkedIn as Eric Tung. His podcast Blue Grit Radio is available on all podcast platforms.Eric has several articles on Police One. Here is the article I referenced:https://www.police1.com/rookie/articles/a-word-to-the-rookies-stay-humble-stay-hungry-1zsfEMTwoRREV3j1/Eric mentions the Blue Bridge Alliance which provides local law enforcement agencies with resources to render aid during interactions with community members in need. For more info:https://bluebridgealliance.org/As noted, this month marks the five-year anniversary of the Line of Duty Death of Kent Police Officer Diego Moreno. Officer Moreno, we thank for your service.E.O.W. Sunday, July 22, 2018https://www.odmp.org/officer/23727-police-officer-diego-morenoThanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Facebook: On Being a Police OfficerTwitter: @AbbyEllsworth13Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 46 The LT’s Daughter Katherine Boyle joins me to talk about her mission to help police officers who want more connection with their families. Katherine is the first law enforcement family member I’ve interviewed on this podcast. It’s important to me to do so as I have learned law enforcement is a family job, one that requires sacrifice and commitment from all. Katherine’s story is unusual in that her childhood was not unusual. She shares all the ways in which her father partnered with her mother to keep the job from negatively affecting their family life as the job of a first responder can do. Her experience is the inspiration behind the program Katherine has created and is launching this month titled “Beyond the Uniform.” The program will offer events designed to help police officers better connect with their families, in particular with their spouses, by identifying priorities and values outside of the job. To put Katherine’s childhood in perspective, we look back at the career of her dad, Retired Philadelphia Police Lieutenant Michael Boyle, who spent much of his career on the Special Victim’s Unit. Among his cases was the Delimar Vera case of a kidnapped infant who at the age of eight was reunited with her mother. The story made national news.It also is important to note that Katherine comes from an extended law enforcement family with many relatives who serve or have served in the profession.  As a result, she has long wanted to give back and to support officers. It was, in part, her experience while living in NYC during the 2020 riots and seeing the abuses of officers who were quite literally "family" to her that led to her “light bulb” moment that she had to do something active, something tangible to help LE families. That light bulb moment has become “Beyond the Uniform.”Here is the link to the Event Sign-Up List for “Beyond the Uniform”https://view.flodesk.com/pages/647f698cdfd04634e9976771Katherine’s IG: TheLTsDaughter:https://www.instagram.com/theltsdaughter/Sadly, the Boyle family suffered a Line of Duty Death in February, 1991 of Katherine’s cousin, Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Boyle at the age of 21 after only nine months on the job. The family established a scholarship foundation in his name that raises funds to send underprivileged children to Catholic schools across Philadelphia. Here are the links for more information: Officer Daniel Boyle Scholarship Fund website:http://www.officerdanielboyle.com/Officer Daniel Boyle Scholarship Fund Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/daniel.boyle.52090Officer Daniel BoyleE.O.W. February 6, 1991https://www.odmp.org/officer/176-police-officer-daniel-robert-boyleOfficer Boyle, we honor you and thank you for your service.Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Facebook: On Being a Police OfficerTwitter: @AbbyEllsworth13Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 45 Knocko Nolan has served on two of the country’s largest and finest police departments, NYPD and LAPD where he is now currently a detective sergeant. While on patrol, Knocko worked Brooklyn and Manhattan, as well Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles including Skid Row.In his nearly three decades of service, Knocko has been on a wide range of units including Narcotics, Vice, the Career Criminal Unit where he tracked and investigated violent repeat offenders; the infamous anti-gang unit CRASH where he collected intelligence on street and prison gangs and participated in undercover, reverse-sting operations; a Special Victims squad that investigated assaults and sex crimes perpetrated against children; and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force in which he held a Top Secret government clearance and investigated international terrorist groups, a role he chose after 9/11. A New York native, Knocko first joined LAPD in 1996, then returned to NY in 2000 to serve with NYPD for four years which included 9/11. He was one of the many of New York’s finest who worked tirelessly with fellow first responders for a year at Ground Zero. He later returned to LAPD in 2004.This interview is particularly meaningful to me because I lived in LA during the Rodney King riots and later in New York during 9/11. We discuss our shared experiences of Los Angeles and of course of that fateful day for our country. For the first time, I get to thank an NYPD officer for his service during that tragic time.You can connect with Knocko on social media:Instagram: Knocko_Twitter: @KnockoNolan https://linktr.ee/KnockoNolanThanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Facebook: On Being a Police OfficerTwitter: @AbbyEllsworth13Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 44  B.C. Sanders is widely known for his expertise in gang culture based on insights he draws from 20 years in law enforcement. He is with a large agency in the southeastern United States and has served on a number of units in addition to gang including drug unit, aggravated assault, homicide and more.B.C. began studying the inner workings of gangs from the time he was a rookie patrol officer when “gangs were just taking off in the South.” He went straight to the source – gang members themselves – to understand why they form and how they operate. We talk about types of gangs, how they recruit, the people who join them and how gangs have evolved over time. We discuss their hand signals, graffiti and bandanas known as flags, and initiations called jump-ins. We also look at how a Gang Unit operates proactively to cultivate sources and informants to stop the violence and make arrests, but also to build relationships based on mutual respect to help show these young men and women the path they are on is a path to death or prison and that there is another way.B.C. was one of several officers featured in James Patterson’s book “Walk the Blue Line.” In it, he talks about the classes he designs and teaches to other officers as well as to civilians. “Each gang is different, as is each gang member. I apply my psychology degree to figure out why these guys do what they do.”B.C. taps his experience in law enforcement and combines it with his love of music and of skateboarding into a fascinating podcast he co-hosts with his buddy Ski called “The Disruptors Podcast with B.C. and Ski.” They interview everyone from members of punk bands, to a reformed Nazi Skinhead, to an expert in situational awareness and behavioral analysis, to fellow law enforcement officers. And sometimes they just crack each other up with all kinds of stories. You can find it on all podcast platforms. Here is a Apple Podcast link to the podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disruptors-podcast-with-b-c-ski/id1636995899Follow them on Instagram: @the_disruptors_podcast Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Facebook: On Being a Police OfficerTwitter: @AbbyEllsworth13Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 43 I’m joined by Detective Daniel Carr who has been in law enforcement for more than 17 years with a large agency in the southwestern United States. Daniel also holds a Master's Degree in criminal justice and a law degree, both of which he earned while being a full-time police officer. Many of you know Daniel as the creator of Police Law News – video and written content that honestly examines police incidents, police policy, law, culture and, in my opinion, addresses civilian misperceptions of law enforcement. All of it is thought provoking, well researched and insightful. You can find his video content on all social media platforms and his very well-written articles on Substack. His videos on TikTok alone have garnered him more than 135,000 followers.  (Links below).In this interview, we look at a range of issues and incidents including several officer involved shootings that Daniel has covered on Police Law News, as well as some other cases I asked him to review with me. We engage in an open-minded and thoughtful examination without judgement. Of particular importance is the wrongful conviction of Officer Christopher Schurr of the Grand Rapids Police Department following his use of deadly force while engaged in a life-threatening hand-to-hand confrontation with a subject who had stolen Officer Schurr’s Taser. Officer Schurr has been charged with second-degree murder and will stand trial in October. You can get updates and show your support for him and his family through the Facebook “Stand With Schurr” page. We contrast and compare this with the somewhat similar conviction, later overturned, of Officer Garrett Rolfe, who also was threatened with a Taser by a fleeing subject in Atlanta. Within our review of these incidents, we discuss the impact of media bias, the public’s misperception of use of force and why officers “can’t just shoot the knife out of someone’s hand.”We talk about Daniel’s career in law enforcement as he nears retirement – why he chose police work, the incidents and the people he remembers and the rewards of the job. To find Daniel’s work on social media, go to any platform and simply search for Police Law News. Here are some handy links as well:FacebookInstagramTikTok, Twitter, YouTube and Substack Newsletter here: https://linktr.ee/policelawnewsDaniel’s Substack breakdown of Officer Schurr’s incidentStand With Schurr GRPDDaniel’s Substack breakdown of the Justice for Jaheim Go Fund Me issueThe insightful breakdown I mention of the initial traffic stop in the Tyre Nichols case: Drew Breasy Uncuffed: A Cop Reviews Tyre Nichols Use of Force CaseThanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going. If you are so inclined, please drop me a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. It really helps build the audience!Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Facebook: On Being a Police OfficerTwitter: @AbbyEllsworth13Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 42 Join me on this ride of an episode with Eric Tansey, co-creator and host of Failure to Stop (FTS) and former Raleigh Police Department officer from 2012 to 2019. If you follow Eric on FTS, then you know he is a high-energy, highly-engaging storyteller. And nowhere is that more evident than in his soon-to-be released book, “PIG LATIN, a serious – but funny – true story.” I had the opportunity to read an advance manuscript and talk with Eric about some of the crazy and as well as poignant stories in the book.We discuss why he got into LE following his service in Special Ops as a US Army Paratrooper from 2003 to 2010.  We get into a few dramatic incidents which include totaling his car after hydroplaning during a pursuit; having his leg broken while fighting with a murder suspect (“I got 12 screws, two pins, a plate and a rod in my left leg.”) And the time he took his mother on a ride-along, made a “routine” traffic stop to show her what it’s like, and ended up in one of the most brutal beatings he ever suffered, all with his mom watching.  We also talk about the incident that is one he just can’t shake. And of course, we cover how he was named Officer of the Year only to have his law enforcement career came to an end when he was fired from Raleigh PD in 2019. As he does on FTS, we get into police incidents, the issues facing LE today, the frustrations of the public’s misperceptions of police work, and we revisit a breakdown I was particularly interested in (link to the FTS breakdown below). I couldn’t let him go without discussing his accomplishment of becoming a sommelier, a certified specialist in wine, and opening his distillery, InStill Distilling Company in Clayton, North Carolina which he currently operates. And we talk about the importance of family. YouTube link to FTS breakdown of Akron Police Department an incident that I discussed with Eric.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zpN8TEcSB8Thanks to everyone at Failure To Stop for your support. Here is a list of the FTS shows. All air live on YouTube and repost to YouTube and all podcast platforms.NIGHTSHIFTWith Eric Tansey and Andrea Up LateTuesdays 8pm ETLAST CALLEric Tansey and Josh from Dead Leg MediaWednesdays at noon ET (live for subscribers); replays ThursdayCOMM CENTERDrew Breasy and Jonathan BatesThursdays at 8pm ETCall-in live or leave a voicemail:848-COMM911 or (848)266-6911FAILURE TO STOP BREAKDOWNEric Tansey and Drew BreasyFridays 11am ET You can find Jonathan Bates Illustrator of “PIG LATIN, a serious – but funny – true story.” Instagram @difficulttolookatpicturesAnd let’s not forget Grommett Vommit, the podcast by Eric’s kids.Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Facebook: On Being a Police OfficerTwitter: @AbbyEllsworth13Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 41  Dispatcher/911 call taker and former corrections officer, Jonathan Bates joins me for this episode. Many of you know him as co-host with Drew Breasy on Comm Center, a new show on the Failure to Stop YouTube channel and podcast where they breakdown all elements of a police incident – the 911 calls, dispatch and the police response via body cam footage. As Jon says in our conversation: “You basically see how a problem enters the criminal justice system. A problem exists, someone dials 911 and we start working. It's true crime in real time because we're trying to solve a mystery. We examine the body cam footage of the police officers arriving on scene. How does what we know help the police officers before they get there? How does it affect the outcome? We’re marrying together what it is like from the time the phone rings until the officers get on scene and get the suspect secured. It's definitely the most exciting part of the criminal justice system.” And I will add, it makes for suspenseful viewing and listening, and importantly, it really helps people understand the totality of a police response and the importance of the Comm Center’s support.Jon and I talk about Comm Center the show, but also what it's like to work in a real Comm Center where Jon is a 911 call taker and dispatcher. We'll also be talking about Jon's six and a half years as a correctional officer in a state penitentiary prior to his work in dispatch. Jon sheds light on the importance of both of these professions in our greater law enforcement community. He shares his experience with a mixture of humor and emotion, and he shares insights that are compelling and inspiring. As I do with law enforcement, I also want to shed light on the real stories of these two professions. These are true first responders who have their own level of trauma, their own rewards and importantly their own contribution to society as a whole. Thank you to all of you who do these jobs to help keep the rest of us safe.Comm Center airs live on the Failure To Stop YouTube Channel Thursday evenings at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT. If you can't watch it live, the show reposts on YouTube and airs as a podcast on all podcast platforms. Call-in live or leave a voicemail: 848-COMM911 or (848)266-6911.FAILURE TO STOP SHOWSAll air live on YouTube and repost to YouTube and all podcast platforms.NIGHTSHIFTWith Eric Tansey and Andrea Up LateTuesdays 8pm ETLAST CALLEric Tansey and Josh from Dead Leg MediaWednesdays at noon ETCOMM CENTERDrew Breasy and Jonathan BatesThursdays at 8pm ETCall-in live or leave a voicemail:848-COMM911 or (848)266-6911FAILURE TO STOP BREAKDOWNEric Tansey and Drew BreasyFridays 11am ET Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Facebook: On Being a Police OfficerTwitter: @AbbyEllsworth13Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 40 Joining me is Nate Silvester, known as The Officer Nate and the guy who took on LeBron James' anti-police rhetoric via TikTok. Nate was in law enforcement just over 12 years, first with the Twin Falls, Idaho Police Department from 2006 to 2018, and then with the Bellevue, Idaho Marshal's Office which he joined in December, 2020. Just a few months later on April 24, 2021, Nate posted a TikTok in which he is pretending to seek advice from LeBron James on how to handle an imaginary disturbance involving two men wielding knives. To say the video went viral would be an understatement. Shared around the world, the TikTok resulted in Nate’s losing his job and a firestorm of social media backlash including threats against his and his family’s lives. Nate's TikTok was in reaction to LeBron’s tweet at Columbus, Ohio Police Officer Nicholas Reardon. On April 20, 2021 Officer Reardon responded to a chaotic scene in which he used deadly force to stop 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant from stabbing another girl.LeBron's tweet included a photo of Officer Reardon and the text, "YOU'RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY." Some considered this a reference to Dereck Chauvin; others viewed it as calling for the murder of Officer Reardon. James later deleted the tweet. In March 2022, Officer Reardon was cleared of any wrongdoing. A Franklin County Ohio Grand jury decided the shooting was justifiable and that no crime and been committed.While the blowback for Officer Nate was fierce, the support he received from friends, fellow officers, and civilians from around the country sustained him. He has since written a memoir, “Never Off Duty” which covers not only the TikTok and its impact, but also Nate’s work as a police officer and detective, and insights on law enforcement as a profession including dispelling widely-held myths. We talk about why he became a police officer, what the job gave and took from him, his struggle with PTSD and the lonely journey to get counseling, all of which he details in the book. Nate also has a podcast, website, several social media channels and is opening a Chiropractic and Wellness Center (links below). Nate’s “LeBron James” TikTok via YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdzC8sW9MzANate's Website:https://www.bluelivesfoundation.org/To order “Never Off Duty”https://www.bluelivesfoundation.org/product-page/never-off-dutyNate's Social Media handles:TikTok: officernate1.3Instagram: theofficernateYouTube and Facebook: Officer NateThe Officer Nate Podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-officer-nate-podcast/id1596866601Nate’s new wellness center: Atmosphere Chiropractic and Wellnesshttps://www.atmospherewellness.com/Thanks for listening. Please don't forget to follow and subscribe. If you are so inclined, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts: in the All Episodes view, scroll all the way to the bottom to find the star rating and Write a Review link. Thanks to those of you who have posted!And find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Facebook: On Being a Police OfficerTwitter: @AbbyEllsworth13Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 39 Returning to the podcast is Sgt. Nick Bauer who was with the Seattle Police Department for 30 years. He retired just under a year ago. He worked many units, including robbery, Major Crimes Task Force and the Force Investigation team. His most recent role was as the sergeant in the Wellness Unit, a role he was in during the 2020 riots which presented an unprecedented need for officer wellness and support.Nick is a founding member and executive director of Code 4 NW, a nonprofit organization that provides confidential support to all first responders and their families in Washington State. I thought it was important to talk about getting help, especially at this time of year when things can be tough for a lot of people. And I also wanted to do this as a follow-up to my conversation with Tricia Minkler in Ep. 38. Tricia lost her job in law enforcement after a struggling with alcohol and suicide. She got treatment all on her own and is grateful, despite the outcome, that she is in recovery. I wanted to talk with Nick about how Code 4 NW can help someone like Tricia get the help they need. You do not have to do this on your own, and you do not have to lose your job. If you are so inclined, please consider making a donation to Code 4 NW, a completely volunteer-run non-profit organization. The need is great and the work they do is lifesaving. And please call them if you want to have a peer support conversation.Code 4 NWConfidential 24/7 Crisis Line: 425.243.5092There are organizations outside of WA State as well:COPLINE1-800-267-5463100 Club of ArizonaThanks for listening. Please follow or subscribe to the podcast. If you use Apple podcasts, I’d be grateful if you leave a review.And find me on my social or email me:Facebook: On Being a Police OfficerTwitter: @AbbyEllsworth13Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org