On Being a Police Officer

Ep. 14 - Part 2 of 3. Joel’s story. This the second of three interviews with an officer who spent 14 years on the Seattle Police Department. We pick up where we left off in Part 1 talking about the work this officer did with SPD’s Crisis Intervention Team. We focus on the story of Joel Reuter. Much has been written about Joel, his skill working in technology, his friendly nature as well as his mental illness and the incident that ultimately took his life.  We discuss how much this officer along with the mental health professional that partnered with the CIT did to help Joel get the treatment he needed. It’s the part of Joel’s story you haven’t heard. In the interview, we talk about Joel’s Law which was championed by Joel’s father and signed into law in 2015, two years after Joel’s death. Here is a link with more information: https://www.tvw.org/blog/2015/05/gov-inslee-signs-joels-law-two-years-after-joel-reuters-death/

Ep. 13. Part one of three – Saving Lives. This is the first in a three-part series with a former Seattle Police Officer who recently left the department after 14 years. First, in this part, we look back at the great work this officer did with the Seattle Police Department. We start with his response to the shooting in March 2019 of Metro Bus Driver Eric Stark whose story of heroism is featured in EP. 8. Eric credits two SPD officers with saving his life. This is one of those officers. We then talk about this officer’s work on SPD’s Crisis Intervention Team which works with Mental Health Professionals (MHPs) to respond to incidents of persons in mental crisis. This is the co-responder model that I’ve discussed previously in this podcast. This officer’s stories illustrate the lengths SPD goes to to help people get treatment and into programs as an alternative to incarceration. Later in this three-part series, we revisit the summer of 2020 during which this officer worked the front lines of the riots, riots that continue in many markets; and we discuss his decision to leave SPD, a department he had hoped to stay with until retirement. Each part of the series will air one week apart.  Booking, interviews, pre- and post-production, editing by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy freesound.org.

Ep. 12 features Assistant Chief David Green with the San Bernardino Police Department. We talk about the challenges of policing in California due to the impact of state initiatives involving decriminalization, zero bail amounts, moving the prison population into county jails and more, mandates that are having a major impact on law enforcement and the community, as similar initiatives are having in other markets around the country.  Chief Green also discusses the horror of the 2015 terrorist attack, a mass shooting and attempted bombing perpetrated by heavily-armed husband and wife extremists that left 14 dead and dozens injured. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the 9/11 attacks only to be surpassed by the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting the following year. We close by discussing why he became a police officer and what the rewards have been.

A Detective from a San Diego County agency with 15 years in LE talks about his current role in robbery, home invasion, kidnapping and carjacking investigations. He started out with Seattle PD in 2005 and shares stories of his time there including the interesting aspects of working undercover. For the first time in this podcast, we discuss the impact of line-of-duty deaths. We also talk about the challenges of the current anti-police environment, the importance of giving people a chance to be heard in any interaction, and the impact of CA state policies on LE’s ability to protect the community. And of course, we talk about the rewards of the job and why he became a police officer. Listed below are the line-of-duty deaths we discuss. If you can, take a minute to read their stories. There are many moving news articles about each of these incidents and the impact on those they were forced to leave behind.  To these officers and the many others not mentioned here, we thank you for your service.  Gone But Not Forgotten. Seattle PD Officer Tim Brenton https://www.odmp.org/officer/20104-officer-timothy-q-brenton Lakewood Police Department Officers https://www.odmp.org/officer/20137-sergeant-mark-joseph-renninger https://www.odmp.org/officer/20140-police-officer-ronald-wilbur-owens-ii https://www.odmp.org/officer/20139-police-officer-gregory-james-richards https://www.odmp.org/officer/20138-police-officer-tina-gail-delong-griswold Seattle Police Officer Joselito Barber https://www.odmp.org/officer/18435-police-officer-joselito-alvarez-barber Dallas Police Department Officers https://www.odmp.org/officer/22894-senior-corporal-lorne-bradley-ahrens https://www.odmp.org/officer/22895-police-officer-michael-leslie-krol https://www.odmp.org/officer/22896-sergeant-michael-joseph-smith https://www.odmp.org/officer/22898-police-officer-brent-alan-thompson https://www.odmp.org/officer/22897-police-officer-patricio-enrique-zamarripa San Diego PD Officer Jeremy Henwood https://www.odmp.org/officer/20924-police-officer-jeremy-nicholas-henwood All booking, interviews, editing and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy freesound.org.

January is Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention month, so I am talking with Jim Fuda who is the Director of Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound and Vice Chairman of the recently launched Crime Stoppers Global Solutions. A big part of their focus is international outreach to stop human trafficking as well as other major felony crimes. Jim is a 48-year career police officer who has worked many overseas assignments where he has seen heinous crimes such as child sex trafficking. It compelled him to form an NGO where Crime Stoppers can leverage technology to assist in the fight against transnational crime. In the interview, we reference the content and stories featured in a compelling PSA Jim created about child sex trafficking; you can see it on YouTube: ttps://youtu.be/gw7ZFgf1FCA. Crime Stoppers is a non-profit organization. The rewards they pay out for tips that lead to arrests with charges come from donations. You can make a donation at their website www.csglobalsolutions.org

I talk with an officer from a mid-sized agency in the Pacific NW who has been on for just under two years. We talk about why she recently changed careers to become a police officer and what it’s like having joined at this challenging time for LE. Given the location of her department, she has not been on the front lines of riots and protests. But she is battling an assault on a personal level, in her life and relationships with the perspective people have of the police, not just nationally, but within her own circle. It is something I imagine many officers new or tenured are experiencing. We talk about the need for conversations on difficult topics, George Floyd, and making a difference.  Her insights are heartfelt and heart wrenching.

For National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, January 9, I’m sharing a short collection of quotes from the first set of interviews I did with officers in 2020. I am a civilian doing this podcast to give law enforcement a voice at this difficult time. My goal is to tell the real stories of LE to shine a light on your commitment, sacrifice and the good things you do every day.  #NationalLawEnforcmentAppreciationDay  The quotes you hear in this short collection are from: Episodes 1 with a Seattle Police Department Sergeant; Episode 2 with a Chief from a mid-sized agency in the Pacific Northwest; Episode 3 with a retired Seattle Police Officer with 40 years in LE; Episode 5 with Los Angeles Police Department retired Detective Moses Castillo; Episode 7 with Lt. Christopher Cook, PIO for the Arlington Police Department in Texas. I should also highlight on this day of gratitude to LEOs, that episodes 4, 6 and 8 are interviews with citizens who are going out of their way to actively show their support for all police officers, in their own markets and beyond. More episodes are on their way. Please follow me on Twitter @AbbyEllsworth13; and on Facebook; or email me at Abby@ellsworthproductions.com.

Metro Transit Bus Driver Eric Stark is widely hailed as a hero in Seattle for his quick thinking and actions to save his passengers after he was shot while driving his bus in North Seattle on March 27, 2019. Eric recounts the harrowing ordeal and credits two Seattle Police Officers with saving his life. After receiving a Seattle PD Challenge Coin from then Chief Carmen Best, Eric decided to create his own challenge coin to thank and honor all LE. He has spent months making presentations and handing out his coins to officers at all SPD precincts and surrounding Seattle-area police agencies, as well as to officers he sees in the course of his day as a bus driver. He wants all LEOs to know how much they are, in fact, appreciated by their community and to inspire others in the community to take the time to get to know their police officers as fellow human beings, especially during this difficult time. As in Ep. 4 with citizen Zach, the SPD officers who responded to Eric and treated his injuries had EMT kits and EMT training funded by the Seattle Police Foundation. That funding comes through donations which can be made at www.seattlepolicefoundation.org.

Lt. Christopher Cook, Public Information Officer for the Arlington Police Department in Texas has a unique perspective on issues facing police departments around the country because he is involved in three of the largest police and communications organizations in the world: Major Cities Chiefs, The International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Information Officers Association.  We talk about the toll defunding and riots are taking on officers. We discuss the death of George Floyd and the experiences of our black and brown communities. We examine use of force and LE transparency. He talks about my new favorite idea: launching Body Cam footage of the week, a wonderful way to show all the good encounters officers have with their communities. And he shares memories from his 25-year career. For info on the documentary I mention, “Officer Involved” follow this link: http://www.officerinvolvedproject.com/order/dvd Find me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @AbbyEllsworth13. Thanks for listening.

As we give thanks this time of year, I am sharing what one Colorado citizen and his wife and friends are doing to step out of being the silent majority into the vocal majority by taking active steps to show their support for officers in their area – and for all law enforcement.  To all officers and your families and friends, I hope you’ll take a moment to enjoy this simple and heartfelt thank you.