On Being a Police Officer

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. 

Ep. 18 My interview with another officer who recently left the Seattle Police Department. We discuss why he originally made the move from his home town in Alabama to join SPD, only to make the tough decision to leave due to the lack of community support and not being able to police effectively, including seeing victims re-victimized when police cannot make arrests. As he says, having to be a proactive officer turning a blind eye to crime. We get into these and other issues in this current environment. This officer is also one of two SPD officers that King County Metro bus driver Eric Stark credits with saving his life after he, Eric, was shot while driving the bus in March 2019. And as I always do, I ask him why he became a police officer, what the rewards have been, how much a thank you means, and what’s keeping him going – his answer in part – remembering why he became a police officer in the first place.

Ep. 17 In Part 2 of my interview with this sergeant in the Pacific NW, we tackle the subject of deadly use of force and when it is necessary. We examine often-asked questions citizens have about these encounters. We then turn to how LE is a true family and the rewards of the job. As she describes, her best days on patrol were when people thanked her at the end of the contact, often after she had to arrest them. She talks about the citizens she remembers, and how sharing a little about herself and listening to people goes a long way toward showing her "human side," the person in the uniform, to build two-way communication and understanding. 

Ep. 16 Part 1 of 2. A sergeant with 20 years on a mid-sized agency in the Pacific NW explains she never considered becoming a police officer because of the unfavorable view she had of law enforcement growing up. We talk about what changed her mind and why a career as an LEO means so much to her especially, as she explains, as a woman of color being able to represent the underrepresented. We discuss how the area she grew up in, which was known for gang violence, and her first job as a counselor for incarcerated youth helped inform her work. We also talk about her reaction to the killing of George Floyd. Our interview took place prior to the Derek Chauvin trial and our conversation and reactions are based on the incident as it was portrayed in the news when it happened. We also discuss what it’s like being a police officer during these difficult times for law enforcement. In Part 2, we get to talk about the rewards of the job.

Ep. 15 Former Seattle Police Officer Part 3 of 3. Riots. Rewards. Resignation. Today I complete a series of three interviews with a former Seattle police officer who was with the department for 14 years. We talk about working the protests and riots over the summer, in particular holding the line at the SPD’s East Precinct the closure of which made national news. The officer discusses watching legitimate protests overrun by those bent on destruction and harming officers. We talk about the inability to police effectively and hold those committing crimes accountable due to changes in filing standards and failure to press charges, changes that have forced this officer to make the difficult decision to leave the Seattle Police Department. And even with all that has happened, he reflects on what the rewards have been.