DescriptionMy guest today is Chief John Perez.  John recently retired as the Chief of Police for the Pasadena California Police Department. In his nearly 37 years of service to Pasadena, John served at literally all ranks in the department.  During his career, John worked patrol, narcotics, counter-terrorism, and as a SWAT sergeant, lieutenant, and commander, John helped to form the first generation of Pasadena’s tactical team which had the challenge of deploying as a full-time gang enforcement team and a SWAT team for many years.  John was twice awarded the Chief’s medal of excellence and received several commendations for his service over the years.  Timestamps1:00 – His childhood and upbringing2:35 – How the murder of his 14-year-old cousin drove his desire to be a policeman4:41 – The beginning of his career and training6:20 – The crimewaves of the 80s and 90s and police response10:00 - How the Rampart scandal and war on drugs negatively impacted policing13:12 – The origins of Pasadena PD SES (SWAT)15:07 – 9/11 and the profound effects it had on Pasadena PD19:20 – Securing the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl22:45 – The impact of 9/11 on the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl25:55 – Returning to SES as the unit Lieutenant 29:50 – Promoting out of SES to Commander34:00 – Synthesizing being a “meat eater” with the politics of command37:15 – How education changes your understanding and beliefs39:15 – How losing teaches you more than winning41:35 – Authentic leadership45:30 – Responding to Occupy Pasadena54:35 – Leading from your principles in a conflicted environment1:02:00 – Balancing the tension between lawful protest & protecting the city1:04:15 – The need to be a student of the profession1:06:05 – Self-examination and learning from your critics1:09:35 – How a near-death experience reshaped his views1:18:00 – Rapid Fire QuestionsBooks Recommended12 Rules for Life: An Antidote for Chaos – Jordan Peterson – ISBN 0345816021Discover Your True North – Bill George – ISBN 0787987514Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win - Jocko Willink and Leif Babin - ISBN 1250067057Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl - ISBN 080701429XQuiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life – Tony Dungy – ISBN 1414318022 Contact InfoChief John Perez (Ret) johnperez34@me.com 

Description My Guests Today are the creators of the California Association of Tactical Officers (CATO) Decision Making Exercise Program (DME), Capt. Toby Darby and Lt. Josh Wofford.  Toby is a 27-year veteran of law enforcement with 20 years spent in tactical units. Toby is a Board Member for the California Association of Tactical Officers and one of the facilitators of the CATO Strategic Leadership Program (SLP).  Lt. Josh Wofford is an 18-year veteran of law enforcement and current SWAT team leader. Josh has a Doctorate in Education from Vanderbilt University and is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Timestamps 1:02 – Their Backgrounds 2:35 – Origin Stories for the CATO Decision Making Exercises (DME) 5:45 – Anatomy of a DME - How DME’s work 8:25 – Group Structure for DMEs 12:15 – The Science Behind DMEs 15:05 – Using DMEs to Share and Retain Corporate/Agency Knowledge 18:35 – Situational Learning Theory 21:45 – Group Composition 23:55 – Challenging Confirmation Bias in Decision Making 26:30 – Using DMEs to Broaden Perspective 32:10 – Understanding “The Why” in Decision Making 35:30 – Commander’s Intent and Leadership Thinking 37:10 – Facilitating a DME – Choosing an Event 41:06 – Using DME to Stress Test Your Team 44:10 – Facilitating a DME - Roles and Responsibilities 48:44 – How DMEs Affect Culture 51:49 – Building Trust Through DMEs 55:16 – The Need for Critical Thinking in Organizational Leadership 59:50 – Using Close Calls and Body Worn Camera Footage to Create Proactive DMEs   Books Recommended  Swans, Swine, and Swindlers: Coping with the Growing Threat of Mega-Crises and Mega-Messes, Can M Alpaslan and Ian I. Mitroff – ISBN:  9780804771375 The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research & Managerial Applications, Bernard M. Bass – ISBN: 7770957532 Thinking Collaboratively: Learning in a Community of Inquiry, D. Randy Garrison – ISBN: 9781138824317 The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right, Atul Gawande – ISBN: 9780805091748 The Laws of Human Nature, Robert Greene – ISBN: 9780525428145 Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman – ISBN: 9780374275631 Legacy: 15 Lessons in Leadership, James Kerr – ISBN: 9781472103536 The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More With Less, Richard Koch – ISBN: 9780385491747 Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger – ISBN: 9780521423748 Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice, Sharan B. Merriam and Laura L. Bierema – ISBN: 9781118416310 Six Simple Rules: How To Manage Complexity Without Getting Complicated, Yves Morieux and Peter Tollman – ISBN: 9781422190555 An Introduction to Theories of Learning, Matthew H. Olson and B.R. Hergenhahn – ISBN: 9780131147225 Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth At A Time, Jeffrey Pfeffer – ISBN: 9780062383167 Managing the Unexpected: Sustained Performance In A Complex World, Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe – ISBN: 9780787996499  Contact Info Capt. Toby Darby tdarby@catotraining.org Lt. Josh Wofford jwofford@catotraining.org 

DescriptionMy Guest Today is Mike Hillman. Mike is a legend in the tactical community with a list of career accomplishments that would take an entire podcast of their own. But as a brief bio he was one of the original founders of LAPD SWAT, a Deputy Chief at LAPD, the Assistant Sheriff in Orange County California and a Chief of Police for the Los Angeles Port Police. He was one of the founders of the National Tactical Officers Association, headed security for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is a nationally recognized expert on leadership, crisis management, critical incident management, special operations and a wide variety of other subjects.Timestamps2:09 – Objectives of an Effective Leader4:05 – The Need for Introspection6:38 – Having a Core Guiding Principle8:05 – The Roots of Decisiveness 10:00 – Selfless Approaches to Leadership11:40 – Leadership in Crisis15:01 – The Willingness to Change Your Mind 18:04 – Characteristics of Good Leaders19:30 – Humility and Change Leadership22:13 – Making Cultural Changes26:11 – Leading in The Modern Environment28:15 – Selection Process and Picking the Right People31:45 – Policing in the Current Social Environment34:30 – The Constitution v. Our Safety37:15 – Differentiating Between the Need For Training And Discipline40:30 – Actions, Intent and The Media 43:30 – Social Media And Law Enforcement46:38 – Militarization of Law Enforcement51:19 – Proactivity: Intervening Early or Creating a Problem52:30 – Bad Tactics or Bad Technology 54:45 – Defining SWAT and Their Mission Set58:03 – How Do Small Agencies Avoid Issues with Their SWAT Team1:01:00 – Requirements v. Equipment Understanding Your Needs1:04:45 – Rapid Fire QuestionsBooks RecommendedLeft of Bang: How the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life by Patrick Van Horne, Jason Riley, Shawn Coyne - ISBN 1936891301Contact InfoMike Hillmanmrhntoa@aol.com

DescriptionMy Guest Today is Mike Hillman. Mike is a legend in the tactical community with a list of career accomplishments that would take an entire podcast of their own. But as a brief bio he was one of the original founders of LAPD SWAT, a Deputy Chief at LAPD, the Assistant Sheriff in Orange County California and a Chief of Police for the Los Angeles Port Police. He was one of the founders of the National Tactical Officers Association, headed security for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is a nationally recognized expert on leadership, crisis management, critical incident management, special operations and a wide variety of other subjects.Timestamps1:45 – Mike’s Background4:05 – The beginnings of LAPD D Platoon (SWAT)5:35 – Defining Events – International Terrorism, Homegrown Terrorist, & the 1970s11:12 – The Origins of Crisis Negotiation & LAPDs Approach17:19 – Development of Hostage Negotiation Tactics22:20 – 1984 Summer Olympics & Development of SWAT31:02 – The Evolution of Flashbangs  33:54 – Developing Bus Assaults Tactics37:22 – Intelligence Gathering, Pre-scouting, and DARPA Surrogate Travel 40:45 – Hanafi Muslim Incident Effect on Tactics (Fast Roping & Aerial Platform)43:19 – Founding of the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA)45:14 – The Rock House Epidemic in LA & Origins of Armored Vehicles47:30 – Law Enforcement & the Military (Demilitarization?)51:22 – The 1980s and the NTOA55:10 – Being a Student of the Game – The Need for Research & Study58:12 – What Makes a Good SWAT Operator Books RecommendedLeft of Bang: How the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life by Patrick Van Horne, Jason Riley, Shawn Coyne -  ISBN 1936891301 Contact InfoMike HillmannMrhntoa@aol.com

Episode Description - My guest today is Ed Hinchey, a retired Sgt. with the Forest Hills Pennsylvania Police Department. Ed is the survivor of a violent police shooting who was saved by his soft body armor. After retirement Ed became the Director of the Safariland Saves Program. In his capacity as Saves Director, Ed’s job is working with officers who have been shot in the line of duty and saved by their armor. As a result, Ed has likely interacted with more officers shot in the line of duty than anyone in the world. In this interview, Ed discusses witnessing his partner being shot, the first failure of soft body armor by a round it was designed to stop, surviving his own shooting, the aftermath of a shooting, the effects on the officer and their family, as well as the NIJ armor standards past and present. Ed also discusses how to best prepare officers for shootings and how to help them after a shooting occurs. Timestamps1:30 – Ed’s Background2:06 – 6/23/03 - The Edward Limbacher Shooting4:55 – The NIJ Armor Standards and How They Have Changed7:05 – Armor Failure – The Zylon Recall and The Old NIJ Standards11:00 – Frustrations with the Armor Industry13:23 – The Chronology of Ed’s Shooting 20:50 – His Injuries 26:30 – Arrival at the Hospital & Initial Treatment33:00 – Surgery & Recovery38:10 – Effects on the Family45:30 – Community Reaction & News Media51:14 – Retirement from Law Enforcement 57:04 – Starting His Second Career with Safariland1:02:10 – Keys to Surviving a Shooting1:07:15 – Going Beyond the Academy1:20:45 - Why Armor Saves Lives1:25:39 – Behind the Armor – Training Armor1:30:17 – Mindset and Survival1:33:14 - Social Media and Survivors Books RecommendedMeditations by Marcus Aurelius – ISBN 048629823XThe Man in the Arena: Selected Writings by Theodore Roosevelt - ISBN13: 9780765306715Theodore Roosevelt on Leadership: Executive Lessons from the Bully Pulpit by James Strock – ISBN 0761515399 Sites RecommendedNIJ Armor Standards - https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/body-armor-performance-standardsSafariland Saves - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIM58xG6QM4flerbP6IU9qgXf7VJ5ZgJ7 https://scholar.harvard.edu/fryer/publications/empirical-analysis-racial-differences-police-use-force Contact InfoEd HincheySave #941Safariland Saves Programed.hinchey@safariland.com

DescriptionMy guests today are the hosts of the very successful California Association of Tactical Officers (CATO) Podcast, Brent Stratton, and Marcus Sprague. Brent is the Assistant Chief at a Southern California Police Department and the President of the California Tactical Officers Association (CATO). Marcus is a recently retired Lieutenant at a Northern California PD and the Vice President of CATO. Both Brent and Marcus are graduates of the CARO Strategic Leadership Program. Timestamps1:05 - Marcus's background (CATO and SWAT)2:55 - Brent's background (CATO and SWAT)6:52 - The Evolution of CATO 10:00 - Role of CATO and regional associations12:45 - Hot topics in California15:00 - CATO's role in helping defining mission-readiness 17:30 - The importance of identifying areas for improvement19:30 – The need for debriefs and lessons learned24:10 – Understanding the why in training30:45 – CATO Decision Making Exercises36:55 - Anecdotal evidence vs hard data in law enforcement41:00 - Transparency and the gap in the story about law enforcement51:10 - Origin of CATO Podcast1:00:50 - The Future of CATO 1:09:04 - How to contact CATO (and the power of the community)1:13:04 - How to join or become involved with CATO Books RecommendedField Command by Sid HealSound Doctrine: A Tactical Primer by Sid Heal Contact InfoCATO Website - catonews.orgCATO Podcast on Apple PodcastsMarcus Sprague – vp@catonews.orgBrent Stratton - president@catonews.org For more information, check out our website at thedebrief.live

Episode Description – In this episode, we take a deep dive into LAPD D-Platoon (aka SWAT) with Lee McMillion, one of the two Lieutenants who currently lead the unit.  We discuss the history of SWAT, the current configuration of the team, the specialized cadres within the team, and what happens when the team is activated.  We also discuss how they select the right personnel, leading a team of high achievers, maintaining high standards, and trying to support personnel who are constantly engaged in dangerous and potentially traumatic events.  Today’s Guest - Lt. Lee McMillion. Lee is currently one of the two Lieutenants leading the Los Angeles Police Departments Metropolitan Division D-Platoon - also known as LAPD SWAT. In total, Lee has spent 33 years as a Los Angeles Policeman of which 23 years have been spent at Metro, 21 with D-Platoon.  Lee is one of only three men to have ever served at all possible ranks at D-Platoon (Officer, Plus 1, Sgt, and Lt.).   Lee has been an element member, an element leader, a squad leader and is currently a Platoon Leader.  In his career, Lee has participated in well over a thousand tactical operations with a wide variety of mission sets.  Topics Discussed01:10 - Lee’s Career History 03:20 – History of LAPD D-Platoon (SWAT)06:30 – Black Panther and SLA Incidents08:00 – Origins of the name “SWAT”10:30 – 1984 LA Olympics and effect on D-Platoon 14:15 – Current Configuration & Responsibilities of D-Platoon16:30 – Capabilities of the team & the cadre system19:59 – TEMS & Tactical Medics 22:45 – Demographics of the Average D-Platoon Operators 26:00 – Criteria and Process for Activating SWAT 29:30 – Crisis Negotiation System – Every Operator is a Negotiator32:00 – Misconceptions about SWAT – Statistics for SWAT37:00 – “Militarization” of Law Enforcement40:45 – Choosing the Right People – Personnel Selection46:00 – Maintaining High Standards with Strong Personalities49:00 – Building and Maintaining the Right Culture 52:25 – Effects of Social Media on Different Personality Types55:25 – The Tension Between Social Media and Professionalism58:00 – Rapid Fire Questions 1:02:00 - Most Profound Career Memory Books ReferencedThe Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle – ASIN B00AN2KTKQLegacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life by James Kerr - ISBN 9780804176989 Contact Infohttps://www.lapdonline.org/office-of-the-chief-of-police/office-of-special-operations/metropolitan-division/swat/LAPD SWAT Instagram - @lapd.swat  Check out our website at thedebrief.live

Episode Description – This is the second of a broad reaching two-part interview with Sid. In this second episode, we discuss the origins of his study and writings on tactical science and take a deeper dive into several concepts in tactical science like initiative and maneuver in time and space. We also dig into Sid’s views on leadership and take an emotional reflection on his responsibilities to those he led.This episode of The Debrief is in honor of Sid Heal who passed away on May 24th, 2022, shortly before this episode aired. We remember Sid as a force in the special tactics community, as a war veteran, as a celebrated author, and as a commander of the LA Sheriff’s Department. A site has been created in honor of Sid that you can visit at www.sidheal.com Guest – Charles “Sid” Heal.  Sid is a legend in the special tactics’ community and a key figure in the history and evolution of special tactics in the United States. Sid is a retired CWO5 in the United States Marine Corps serving numerous combat deployments including the Vietnam War, The Gulf War, and Operation United Shield in Somalia. Sid is also a retired Commander from the LA County Sheriff’s Department, has worked in the Special Enforcement Bureau, the Emergency Operations Bureau, and a wide variety of other assignments. Sid is one of the most prolific authors on tactical topics having authored several books and hundreds of articles. Sid has taught at the US Army War College and is the former president of the California Association of Tactical Officers. Topics Discussed3:18      Short background on Sound Doctrine6:23     Public perception of police use of violence vs reality13:08    Origin of Sid’s writing career: combining doctrines of law enforcement and military19:38    Key concepts in Sid’s books (end state, training vs education, maneuvering in time, etc.)36:48    Writing tactical books that are widely accessible through simplifying concepts    39:18    The importance of tactical science (understanding the rationale behind decisions, etc.)43:53    Sid’s recommended reading list (from Officer to Lieutenant)48:42    Rapid-fire questions (most important habit, leader vs manager, most important trait for teams/leaders, if he could have dinner with anybody, who it would be, etc.)            Links and Books ReferencedSound Doctrine by Charles “Sid” Heal - ISBN 9781930051119Field Command by Charles "Sid" Heal – ISBN 9781590563441Please find Sid’s recommended reading list at thedebrief.live/the-list Other Places to See and Hear Sid CATO Podcast – www.catonews.orghttps://catopodcast.podbean.com/e/concepts-of-non-lethal-force-with-sid-heal/https://catopodcast.podbean.com/e/concepts-of-non-lethal-force-with-sid-heal-part-2-of-2/ For more information, check out our website at thedebrief.live 

Episode Description – This is the first of a broad reaching two-part interview with Sid. In this first episode, we discuss Sid’s career history, the evolution of special tactics, the history of LASD SEB, the origins of SWAT, and his research on flashbangs and development of the NTOA Instructors Manual.  We also discuss the origins of non-lethal weapons, police reform and defunding, and the origins of his study and writings on tactical science.This episode of The Debrief is in honor of Sid Heal who passed away on May 24th, 2022, shortly before this episode aired. We remember Sid as a force in the special tactics community, as a war veteran, as a celebrated author, and as a commander of the LA Sheriff’s Department. A site has been created in honor of Sid that you can visit at www.sidheal.com Guest – Charles “Sid” Heal.  Sid is a legend in the special tactics’ community and a key figure in the history and evolution of special tactics in the United States. Sid is a retired CWO5 in the United States Marine Corps serving numerous combat deployments including the Vietnam War, The Gulf War, and Operation United Shield in Somalia. Sid is also a retired Commander from the LA County Sheriff’s Department, has worked in the Special Enforcement Bureau, the Emergency Operations Bureau, and a wide variety of other assignments. Sid is one of the most prolific authors on tactical topics having authored several books and hundreds of articles. Sid has taught at the US Army War College and is the former president of the California Association of Tactical Officers. Topics Discussed3:18      Sid's career history (USMC, Sheriff's Department, etc.)13:03    Evolution of special tactics in the United States17:30    Formation of the NTOA19:48    Influence of technology/changing tactics on hostage rescue22:03    Military tactics vs burgeoning special tactics26:18    Origins of SWAT32:08    Origin of Sid formally studying strategy and tactics 33:58    Beginning of flash bang research/original NTOA flash bang manual45:18    Milestones after the flash bang manual (Somalia, Kenya, etc.)1:07:38 Shifts in thinking on the U.S. Military using non-lethal weapons (Afghanistan, Balkans, etc.)1:10:18 Shifts in military thinking on non-lethal force1:15:28 Defunding the police vs reforming the police1:18:18 Integrating theory and practice and the origins of tactical science Books ReferencedSound Doctrine by Charles “Sid” Heal - ISBN 9781930051119Field Command by Charles "Sid" Heal – ISBN 9781590563441Please find Sid’s recommended reading list at thedebrief.live/the-list Other Places to See and Hear SidCATO Podcast – www.catonews.orghttps://catopodcast.podbean.com/e/concepts-of-non-lethal-force-with-sid-heal/https://catopodcast.podbean.com/e/concepts-of-non-lethal-force-with-sid-heal-part-2-of-2/ For more information, check out our website at thedebrief.live

The Debrief with Jon Becker launches June 8th. Please enjoy this trailer. The Debrief is an interview-based podcast that tells the stories of the leaders of some of the world’s top law enforcement and military units – individuals who navigate dangerous situations with their highly effective teams every day. Jon Becker founded AARDVARK at just seventeen years old. The company started out as a climbing equipment business, often selling gear to SWAT teams and operators. After attending law school and working in police litigation, Becker realized that the best way he could serve tactical operators was by producing and providing high quality gear and products that would enhance operator safety on the job. After AARDVARK’s expansion and success, Becker founded PROJECT7, a provider of purpose-built, scalable, and configurable tactical platforms. Throughout this decades-long journey, Becker has learned invaluable lessons about the lives and work of law enforcement and tactical operators, leading him to a deep understanding of the principles and core values behind highly effective teams. After keynoting for many years on the leadership of elite units and what he terms “culture-centric” leadership, Becker is putting those lessons into The Debrief, a non-profit podcast that serves the wider public.