Talking the beat to cover what matters to you as an LEO. Join deputy chief Jim Dudley (ret.) every weekly as he sits down with law enforcement leaders and criminal justice experts to discuss strategy, challenges and trends in policing.
Episodes
Thursday Feb 09, 2023
Thursday Feb 09, 2023
A police bodycam video goes viral that shows an officer or two wrestling with a resistive suspect without much success. Then a shot is fired – or some other force causes extensive injury to the suspect. How can we prevent this from happening?
In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Jay Wadsworth – a veteran LEO, 2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and lead instructor for Effective Fitness Combatives (EFC) – about the current state of defensive tactics training for police. Jim and Jay discuss police training deficits, officer confidence, the carotid restraint technique and much more.
This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
This episode of Policing Matters features a fascinating story of a dogged, multidisciplinary investigation that started at an arson fire scene and ended nearly a year later with the case solved. And it is all detailed in "When the Smoke Cleared: A Murder Mystery in Malden" by Bill Powers.
Host Jim Dudley speaks with Powers, a retired Detective Lieutenant from the Massachusetts State Police and currently back with the department as a civilian training coordinator and classroom instructor, about his book, which follows an extraordinary murder investigation from the crime scene through to the arrest and into the courtroom.
The book is an excellent source as both a police and courtroom procedural, but there is also the heartbreaking yet inspiring story of how the victim's family dealt with their loss and instead of spinning out of control, found a way to succeed and thrive because of it.
The book is written for those who enjoy reading true crime, but more importantly, it is a primer for college classes on police procedures, forensic and fire sciences, criminal law and courtroom procedures, and some courses on deviant sociology and psychology.
This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Many law enforcement agencies have seen the benefits of having social workers in police departments as social workers can increase law enforcement effectiveness when dealing with subjects experiencing mental illness. The Bloomington (Indiana) Police Department began an embedded police social worker program in 2019. Funded by the department budget, the program started with one social worker and has grown to three full-time social workers.
In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Bloomington PD senior social worker Melissa Stone, MSW, LSW, about the benefits a fully embedded social worker model offers for both the community and law enforcement officers.
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Contact the Policing Matters team at policingmatters@police1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Every cop in every city can name a dozen spots within their jurisdiction that might call a hot spot or the place where drugs are sold, burglaries occur, or maybe where the next shooting will happen. It may not be so easy to articulate why, off-hand, but concepts like Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), and of course, crime maps can help.
In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Dr. Tamara Herold, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and senior research advisor at the National Institute of Justice, about her background in crime science and environmental criminology and her research into place-based violence.
Her publications translate theory and research evidence into practice and policy. Her book, "Preventing Crowd Violence," has been translated into two foreign languages. She was recently featured in Police1's 23 on 2023: A police leadership playbook.
This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
This episode of Policing Matters reviews use of force issues, including the recent history of the carotid restraint, electrical conducted devices (what most generally refer to as TASERs) and other force options that have been restrained or discontinued from use, such as tear gas options in some jurisdictions for crowd control. We will talk about innovations and possible options for the future.
Host Jim Dudley speaks with Jon Becker, the founder and CEO of AARDVARK Tactical, a leading provider of tactical equipment and custom solutions. Along with training and integrating force systems at AARDVARK, Jon became an attorney, where his interest in civil rights and police litigation merged and led him to write for many of the top tactical publications on a variety of topics.
In addition, Jon is the host of The Debrief with Jon Becker podcast where Jon sits down with tactical leaders and operators to discuss all things leadership, training and tactics.
Access additional show notes and resources related to this episode here.
This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
Thursday Jan 05, 2023
Thursday Jan 05, 2023
Effective screening of law enforcement candidates is probably the most crucial part of the hiring process. Most departments have a written, oral and physical agility test, a polygraph examination and a psychological profile test. But are we able to effectively screen out people who probably are not suitable for the job?
In December 2022, news hit that the agency overseeing the training and certification of police officers in Washington State was moving to more aggressively remove recruits from the state law enforcement training academy when they show signs they're psychologically unfit. This change came after an officer who is now the subject of two lawsuits alleging excessive force and a manslaughter charge "overreacted" during a 2018 training session in which his instructor said he lapsed into "mental condition black," shot an unarmed virtual suspect, then shut down and tuned out criticism.
In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with assistant professor Paul Taylor, Ph.D., from the University of Colorado at Denver about "mental condition black," the causal factors behind officer performance under stress, and how to improve police training using evidence-based research.
Access additional show notes and resources related to this episode here.
This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
Tuesday Dec 27, 2022
Tuesday Dec 27, 2022
American law enforcement often views itself as an island. Except for the influence of the UK's Sir Robert Peel and his Peelian Principles in 1822, we do not seem to compare our operations and experiences with police agencies in other countries. But when attending gatherings like the FBI's National Academy and meeting with international police officers, you find that American policing does, in fact, share many of the same common issues with our brothers and sisters in other countries.
In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley talks to Dr. Laura Huey, a Canadian criminologist specializing in the study of public policing, victimization, missing persons and mental health issues in criminal justice, about the similarities and differences between policing in the United States and Canada.
Dr. Huey is a professor at the University of Western Ontario in the department of sociology. She is also the editor-in-chief of the international journal "Police Practice & Research," chair of the Working Group on Mental Health and Policing of the COVID-19 Taskforce of the Royal Society of Canada, former vice-chair of the American Society of Criminologists' division of policing, and the former executive director of the Canadian Society of Evidence-Based Policing.
Connect with Dr. Huey
About our sponsor
This episode of Policing Matters is sponsored by Utility. Utility provides a universe of intuitive solutions for effectively capturing, analyzing, managing, and sharing video evidence. Technologies include a variety of cameras, sensors, and devices, as well as situational awareness software solutions for law enforcement, first responders, transportation agencies, and utility providers. To learn more about Utility and its technology solutions, visit utility.com.
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
In this special year-end episode, Policing Matters podcast host Jim Dudley is once again joined by Janay Gasparini, Ph.D., to take a deep dive into the critical issues impacting law enforcement in 2022. Jim and Janay discuss the following 10 key areas:
1. Emerging forms and strategies in use of force
Top quotes from this segment:
"I think we are seeing a lot is this change in our hands-on strategies to better reflect controlling subjects as opposed to anything that might look like excessive use of force."
"When do you think we are going to see a committee in Congress that says let's listen to experts before we make legislative changes?"
Additional resources:
- BolaWrap new less-lethal tool for police
- The GLOVE from Compliant Technologies
- Rener Gracie on the need for police Jiu-Jitsu training
- FBI's National Use of Force Data Collection program
- Use of force reporting from companies like Mark 43 and Thin Blue Defend capture critical details to prevent wrongful outcomes in use of force case
2. Officer morale
Top quotes from this segment:
"Have there really been any shifts since last year? We had our state of the industry survey with 75% of officers reporting that morale is down since last year, so it begs the question of 'Where are we at the end of 2022?'"
"First-line supervisors matter a whole heck of a lot more than we realize."
Additional resources:
- What cops want in 2022: Police1's State of the Industry survey
- Roundtable: How to improve officer morale in 2022
3. Importance of direct supervisors/leadership
Additional resource:
The 22 leadership traits cops are looking for in their supervisors in 2022
4. Navigating Gen Z
Top quotes from this segment:
"There is so much about Gen Z that we know from the research that doesn't fit with our traditional policing tenets."
"Meet them where they are. And where are they? They are online."
5. Virtual reality training
Top quotes from this segment:
"As a recruitment tool, as a training tool, it is going to do very well with Gen Z. It is great for that, but I was really interested to see how it is being used in other facets of the justice system and not just for use of force scenarios."
"We have only begun to realize the potential of using virtual reality for our officers."
Additional resources:
- How virtual reality can reduce profiling in policing
- Wrap Technologies' Societal Rentry Solution Enterprises, part of Wrap Reality virtual reality training system, helps reintegrate incarcerated individuals
- LAPD launches virtual reality training program for officers
6. Police suicide, officer mental wellness
Top quote from this segment:
"I do believe with younger officers that they seem to be more aware of the self-care piece, of the realities of the job."
Additional resources:
- Blue H.E.L.P.: How a nonprofit is on a mission to reduce police suicides, eliminate mental health stigma
- Marie Ridgeway: The value of mental wellness check-ins for law enforcement
- Dr. David Black on how the Cordico app provides wellness support for cops
- Crisis help: National Suicide Prevention, Veterans Crisis Line, Copline.
7. Ambushes on police
Additional resource:
- Remembering the Lakewood Four: 6 keys to preventing an ambush
8. Refunding the police
"When these policies actually play out on the street level you see the stark difference between what is on paper and what is in reality."
9. Crime and policing as a national issue at midterm elections
Top quotes from this segment:
"We understand the spirit behind bail reform but when I go into work and I see the latest domestic violence case come across and someone has forced themselves into their partner's apartment and attempted a strangulation and this person was released on an appearance ticket, it just doesn't sit well with me."
"As much as the public thinks that the police have the last say in who gets arrested and who goes to prison, there is a huge process in between that initial arrest and the jail door slamming. It is public defenders, district attorneys, judges, juries and legislators."
10. The great resignation
Top quote from this segment:
"This is not just officers leaving at the age of retirement, but this is officers leaving for other jobs."
What do you think was the most critical issue impacting law enforcement this year? Email editor@police1.com.
This episode of Policing Matters is sponsored by Utility. Utility provides a universe of intuitive solutions for effectively capturing, analyzing, managing, and sharing video evidence. Technologies include a variety of cameras, sensors, and devices, as well as situational awareness software solutions for law enforcement, first responders, transportation agencies, and utility providers. To learn more about Utility and its technology solutions, visit utility.com.
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
"Whether you look at divorce rates, mental health concerns, or the very unfortunate suicide data, first responders face higher risk in all of these areas than 'Joe Citizen.' There needs to be more support, and support that is real and unafraid to tackle the tough stuff. And that support needs to be accessible and consistent." So writes Lindsay Faas, a registered clinical counselor in British Columbia, Canada, who specializes in trauma-related counseling and affiliated concerns including PTSD, complex trauma and dissociative disorders.
Policing Matters host Jim Dudley was a recent guest on Lindsay's podcast "Behind the Line," and now returns the favor, inviting Lindsay on Policing Matters to discuss how first responders can proactively protect themselves from burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma.
This episode of Policing Matters is sponsored by Utility. Utility provides a universe of intuitive solutions for effectively capturing, analyzing, managing, and sharing video evidence. Technologies include a variety of cameras, sensors, and devices, as well as situational awareness software solutions for law enforcement, first responders, transportation agencies, and utility providers. To learn more about Utility and its technology solutions, visit utility.com.
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
While the majority of police-civilian interactions resolve peacefully, a small number of situations end with use of force as police respond to subject resistance.
In this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley speaks with Dr. Eric Piza about his analysis of body-worn video to determine the factors that contribute to whether or not force is used during a police-civilian interaction.
Dr. Piza is a professor of criminology and criminal justice and director of crime analysis initiatives at Northeastern University. He served as the GIS Specialist for the Newark (New Jersey) Police Department where he was responsible for day-to-day crime analysis and program evaluation activities of the agency. A summary of his latest study, "Situational factors and police use of force across micro-time intervals: A video systematic social observation and panel regression analysis," can be found here.
Connect with and learn more about Dr. Piza's research here.
This episode of Policing Matters is sponsored by Utility. Utility provides a universe of intuitive solutions for effectively capturing, analyzing, managing, and sharing video evidence. Technologies include a variety of cameras, sensors, and devices, as well as situational awareness software solutions for law enforcement, first responders, transportation agencies, and utility providers. To learn more about Utility and its technology solutions, visit utility.com.