Ep. 28 Head of Public Affairs for the Baltimore, Chicago and Fairfax County VA police departments, Anthony Guglielmi talks about advocating for LE while being transparent with and educating the public on what it means to be a police officer. He reflects on the rewards and challenges of supporting police departments in two of the largest and most violent cities in the country. While with Baltimore PD from 2008 to 2013, Anthony helped the department communicate their strategy to reduce rampant gun violence through “targeted prosecution and putting the right people in jail for the right reason at the right times.” He also discusses BPD’s Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) and the resulting scandal which led to officers being charged with racketeering, robbery, extortion and fraud. Anthony talks about how this happened and what went wrong. Before the GTTF scandal broke, Anthony was recruited by Chicago PD to manage the release of dash cam video of the killing of Laquan McDonald by Officer Jason Van Dyke, video that contradicted police statements. It was Anthony’s job to help the department and the city rebuild public trust. Ultimately, Chicago PD become one of the first departments in the country to release body cam footage within days of an incident, a practice and a concept that was unheard of at the time.  After Chicago PD, Anthony joined the Fairfax County Police Department in Virginia outside Washington D.C. We revisit the January 6th insurrection and Fairfax County PD’s mutual aid response. And we talk about Anthony’s commitment to telling the real stories of LE. His teams have produced and distributed videos about the good work officers do. In Anthony’s words: “Here's what you didn't see on last night's news.”©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews booked, conducted and edited by Abby Ellsworth. Follow me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OnBeingaPoliceOfficer and https://www.facebook.com/abby.ellsworth.52Instgram: on_being_a_police_officerTwitter: @AbbyEllsworth13Email: Abby@Ellworthproductions.comhttps://heroespodcastnetwork.com/

Ep. 27 John “Jay” Wiley retired police sergeant and host of the Law Enforcement Today Radio Show and Podcast shares his personal story about his time with the Baltimore Police Department from 1980 to 1992, as well as his views on the issues and challenges LEOs are facing in these tough times.Jay details the incidents and resulting injuries that led to his being forced to retire from the Baltimore Police Department at the age of 33. This is the first time in my podcast that I’ve discussed the impact on officers injured in the line of duty. Jay shares his deep sense of loss at having to give up his vocation, the career he chose and loved, and the toll that loss took on him and his family financially, mentally and emotionally. Through hard work and helping hands, Jay triumphed and created his own syndicated music radio show and the LET Radio Show and Podcast. Through his radio show and podcast, Jay has his finger on the pulse of what LEOs are facing today. We discuss those challenges as well as Jay’s encouragement for those in the profession and his hope for the future.Find and follow Jay and the LET Today Podcast:https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/let-radio-show-3/https://www.facebook.com/LawEnforcementTodayRadioShowhttps://linktr.ee/JJWiley?fbclid=IwAR35Q36daalhevHU6ni--nOPHcZXTxQ8TIJ9EGXs2Yd8hMWjXEbb0L2OOJs©Abby Ellsworth. I am the sole booker, interviewer, editor and publisher of this podcast. Please like/follow and post your comments on your favorite podcast platform. You can also reach me at abby@ellsworthproductions.com. Thanks for listening.

Ep. 26 – Retired Southfield PD (MI) police officer Anthony McNeil shares his stories, experiences and insights from 21 years on the department as well as the inspiration behind his podcast “The Off Duty Podcast” and the Everyday Heroes Podcast Network which he created for podcasts about first responders and those who support them. I am pleased to report that my podcast is now part of Anthony’s network and that he recently interviewed me on The Off Duty Podcast. You can hear our conversation here and all about why I do this podcast. In my interview with Anthony, we have a lot of fun talking about his time with Southfield PD located just outside Detroit. His was an unlikely journey into law enforcement, a career he never intended to pursue until a chance encounter and conversation with the then Chief of Southfield PD who encouraged him to consider it. In Anthony’s words, he was hooked from day one. We talk about the incidents and the people he remembers and the kind of officer he strove to be. We also cover current issues as well as the ongoing tough environment for law enforcement. He wants LE to be able to take back the narrative, and he hopes to help do that with his podcast. His interviews are warm and engaging with the goal of humanizing the badge. For a profession he never intended to join, Anthony is still giving back. As I say in the interview, he did not choose law enforcement, but I am glad law enforcement chose him.

Ep. 25 - I am kicking off 2022 on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day with a thoughtful and forward-looking interview with Chief Doug Shoemaker with the Colorado Junction Police Department. The Chief shares his passion for the profession, his enthusiasm for its future and his focus on relationship building. Chief Shoemaker has been in law enforcement for more than 30 years. For more than ten years, he has served on various committees and sections within the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) including as chair the association’s Police Professional Standards and Ethics Committee. In 2021, he was elected the Fifth Vice President, a role that will lead to his becoming IACP President in 2026. We begin locally, looking at the issues facing law enforcement in his city and in Colorado, in particular, the impact of the state’s elimination of qualified immunity. We also talk about his experience working in the state capital with the Jefferson City Police Department during which time he was the incident commander for "Journey for Justice," a march held following the Ferguson protests in 2014. We discuss how this helped prepare him to lead his department during the civil unrest that occurred in response to the murder of George Floyd. Then we branch out on a national level, examining not only the challenges facing LE, but also the effort the profession is making to change and evolve. We also touch on the Chief’s commitment to give back to the community by understanding underlying issues specifically around the factors that lead youth to end up in the juvenile justice system and what can be done to help them. He did this research as part of his dissertation for his doctorate in Organizational Leadership. As I do in each episode, I ask what made him choose law enforcement; we talk about his “why” and the value of reflecting back on it. @Abby Ellsworth 2022. All booking, interviews, production and editing done by Abby Ellsworth. Contact me at abby@ellsworthproductions.com.

Ep. 24 - A Captain from a mid-sized agency in Washington State discusses the wide-ranging new police reform legislation that went into law in July 2021 in Washington. Many states are enacting police reform bills into law, but to date, few go as far as the new laws in Washington – including being the only state to ban Terry stops, a long-held practice which allows the police to briefly detain a person based on reasonable suspicion of involvement in criminal activity. Because of how these laws are written and their overall scope and restrictiveness, they have been met with concern and confusion within law enforcement on how to interpret and implement them. Officers are finding their hands tied when it comes to apprehending and arresting criminals, helping those in mental crisis and protecting the public. These concerns are shared among citizens who are seeing a rise in crime and new limits on what police can do about it. There currently is a debate over whether these changes will help or hurt public safety. And so I am to turning to this Captain to get his reactions and to understand what he is seeing as the impact not only on law enforcement, his department, but also on community members. If you would like to contact your legislator with questions, comments or concerns about the new laws, you can locate your legislator at this website: https://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder Contact me at abby@ellsworthproductions.com.  All booking, interviews, production and editing by Abby Ellsworth.  Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 23 Today, I am bringing awareness to suicide and mental health issues within law enforcement. Joining me is Inspector Steve Hough who has 25 years in law enforcement. He is one of the co-founders, along with Karen Solomon and Dr. Jeffrey McGill, of Blue H.E.L.P., a non-profit organization committed to honoring the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers who have been lost to suicide and to supporting their families and loved ones. It is the only organization in the country that collects LE suicide data. Blue H.E.L.P. also works to de-stigmatize mental health and job stress issues and connects officers to wellness and treatment programs. Last year, Blue H.E.L.P. designated Sept. 26 as National Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness day. I want to do my part in helping drive that awareness. Blue H.E.L.P.’s website is https://bluehelp.org/ You can find important information on services; stories of family members who have lost their LEO loved ones to suicide; the Honor Wall recognizing the service of those officers; and information on what you can do for National Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness Day. Please feel free to email me your thoughts, ideas for topics, and/or if you are interested in being interviewed: Abby@ellsworthproductions.com. You can find On Being a Police Officer on Facebook; @AbbyEllsworth13 on Twitter; and on_being_a_police_officer on Instagram. Don't forget to subscribe/follow on you favorite podcast platform.   All interviews, bookings, editing done by Abby Ellsworth.

Ep. 22 Today’s episode is with Katie Nelson, Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Mountain View Police Department. We talk about how police agencies are connecting with community at the local and national level. Katie has a prominent role as the Chair of the PIO Section for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) – the world’s largest and most influential professional association for police leaders with more than 31,000 members in more than 165 countries. I tap her insight into what’s going on around the country in terms of new legislation in certain states, the elimination of qualified immunity for some, and new laws that are affecting not only law enforcement, but also community members and victims who have not necessarily been fully updated on how these new laws affect them.  We also discuss #PathForward, the IACP’s digital initiative to help enhance law enforcement's efforts to better tell the story of all that policing is and the good work officers do every day. I highly recommend checking out the posts on Twitter. If you are in law enforcement, use the hashtag to highlight the stories in your own community, the stories that don’t make the news. I also want to provide the press release issued by Auburn WA Police Department about a recent incident and a link to their Facebook post that explains why officers were unable to take action. I reference this in the episode. You can always reach me at Abby@Ellsworthproductions.com https://www.facebook.com/AuburnWAPolice/videos/377749317316960 *****Press Release/Stolen Vehicle***** 08-31 Around 2:30pm Officers with Auburn PD were dispatched to a stolen vehicle report near the Auburn Police Substation on Lea Hill. The victim at the scene told the officers she had been robbed at gunpoint and her vehicle, a white 2016 Lexus RX, had been stolen. Using a photographic montage, the victim was able to identify the suspect. Officers learned, the vehicle was equipped with Lojack and it had been activated. Just after 3pm, while searching for a suspect on an unrelated call, King County Guardian One reported that they had been receiving pings from the stolen Lexus. Guardian One followed the Lojack signal and at about 3:15pm located the vehicle backing into an apartment complex in the 900 Block of 12 ST SE. Not long after, Guardian One saw a male had left from the backseat and another male had left from the front passenger seat. Neither of these males were able to be identified. The male from the back seat walked across the parking lot, while the male from the front passenger seat got into another vehicle. As patrol units began to converge on the area, Guardian One said a patrol unit had just driven by the Lexus as it pulled out of the apartment complex parking lot. The Lexus had come close to one of our patrol vehicles and drove around our officers. Officers and Guardian One continued to try and track the stolen vehicle, but they eventually fell too far behind and could not keep up. Without anyone observing the driver, identifying the driver or any other possible occupants in the vehicle, there was no probable cause for anyone in the vehicle regarding this robbery case. Due to the recent legislative changes regarding vehicle pursuits and use of force in Washington State, we were not legally allowed to pursue the vehicle.

Ep. 21 What is it like to be an officer involved in a deadly force incident? This is the subject of a powerful documentary, “Officer Involved” by filmmaker and former police officer Patrick Shaver. Over several years, Patrick interviewed officers from around the country about their incident and the emotional toll it took on them. He also interviews experts on the subject. We are painfully aware of the tragedy surrounding deadly use of force on those lost and their loved ones. This film and my conversation with Patrick shed light on the part of the story that is rarely discussed: what happens after the trigger is pulled – to the officer. As always, my goal is to tell the stories of law enforcement that don’t get told, to help us all better understand what the job really is, that there are human beings behind that badge, and to show the complexity of what it means to be a police officer. We also touch on Patrick's second film "Dinkheller" about Deputy Kyle Dinkheller who paid with his life during a traffic stop, the dash cam video of which has been used in academy training for law enforcement officers. Patrick's film gives us a more complete picture of who this young man was. You can learn more about Patrick's work on his website: http://www.officerinvolvedproject.com. You also can purchase DVD copies of his films, the proceeds of which help fund his work. 

Ep. 20 With the NYC Pride Parade’s ban of NYPD officers from working and participating in this year’s parade, I turned to retired Seattle PD Officer Jim Ritter for his reaction. Ritter, who had a 40-year career in law enforcement, was Seattle PD’s first full-time LGBTQ liaison, and he created Safe Place originally for the protection of the LGBTQ community. Shortly after this interview was recorded, groups in Seattle began making similar police-banning announcements for the Pride parade activities there. Jim’s reaction to NYC addresses the issues in both cities and any other that may follow. Equally important, we talk about Jim’s own journey as a gay man in law enforcement, his decades-long fear of coming out and the repercussions it could have had on him. It is a poignant reminder of how hard-fought the right to be safely out is – including for those in law enforcement. Jim remains committed to educating the LGBTQ community about police and police departments about the LGBTQ community. He has formed his own company and travels around the country to maintain a healthy, informed, positive dialogue. His work is a light that keeps the path forward illuminated in opposition to the hate and misinformation that drags us backward. Jim’s company is J.S. Ritter & Associates, LLC https://www.jsritterassociatesllc.com/ I also discussed Safe Place in Ep. 19 with Detective Beth Wareing in relation to all hate crimes. For more info on SPD’s Safe Place Program, you can find it here: https://www.seattle.gov/spd-safe-place

Ep. 19 With the dramatic increase in attacks on Asian Americans, I turn to Det. Beth Wareing who investigates bias and hate crimes for the Seattle Police Department. I ask: What is a hate crime? How is it investigated? What are the challenges?  We discuss not only the increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans, but also in other categories like homeless, Black and Brown, and LGBTQ communities. This is not an interview about statistics. This is about people – the people who suffer these assaults – and the people who are committed to investigating them. Det. Wareing reinforces the importance of patrol and their ability to respond quickly when an assault has happened. She shares her concern over officer wellness in these trying times. We talk about why she became a police officer, what the rewards are, and her vision for what the future of law enforcement will look like. ©Abby Ellsworth Productions.  All interviews, editing, production by Abby Ellsworth. Contact me at abby@ellsworthproductions.com if you'd like to be on the podcast or to share your thoughts.  Please subscribe/follow on your favorite podcast platform and feel free to leave a review.  You can find me on Facebook OnBeingaPoliceOfficer, Twitter @AbbyEllsworth13 and Instagram on_being_a_police_officer. Music courtesy of freesound.org. Thanks for listening.