There are hardly words for the loss of a loved one. Hardly words for the tragedy of a line of duty death of a partner - a friend. For the catastrophe and heart-break of an accidental "Blue on Blue" OIS. What about all those things combined... where an officer responds and finds her own fiancee as the gunshot victim in such an incident, and is there by his side as he passes? I can barely find the words, and yet, my guest, fmr. officer Bev Perez has many. More than just words, she h...

Relationships. Does that word make you go.. "Oh!" (endearing tone and heart eyes) or "Oh.." (cautious tone with pause) or "Ugh.." (you know...) Unfortunately, all responses are valid as relationships and marriages are complex, difficult, and often catabolic and draining. But is it relationships themselves - or not having the right guardrails, systems, lessons, and tips alongside this arduous career and lifestyle? Enter Linda and Brian, who lived a full police career/marriage. Wit...

Good leadership concepts aren't difficult to identify, but it's hard to find them in practice due to a host of issues. Culture, egos, habits.. In this conversation, I'm proud to feature the author of multiple impactful Police 1 articles, Chief Michael Assad. Reading his thoughts and hearing his tone will resonate with leaders of all levels, as he shares his experience going from sergeant to a small agency chief - and all that comes with it. He teaches us how to m...

Wellness and Leadership are major pillars that Blue Grit is built to explore, and in this episode, they intersect in significant ways. Steve Strachan (retired top cop for King County Sheriff’s Office, Bremerton, and Kent Police) is the executive director of WASPC (Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs). He helps us explore what didn’t work in police wellness in the past, where we have come, and how far we have still to go. So much of this is a direct lift for the ex...

Our police profession has come a long way in the realms of wellness and support, but we have a long way to go. Still, many officers are not given appropriate care, time, resources, or even a means to recover from the emotional, mental, and physical gut punches we get dealt. Some, with categorical on-duty injuries are cast out by agencies and L&I. In this episode, ret. Lt. Randy Sutton and ret. Chief Jesse Watts share about their policing careers, calls to service, and reflect...

All things Blue Grit talk about how to show up your best - day to day. Much of the origin of the podcast was to help applicants prep and elevate, but what about active law enforcement and first responders? The original idea for this episode was to talk about SWAT selection, but the themes developed much more high-level and adaptable for anyone who wants to be their best. This conversation with cognitive powerhouses Seb Lavoie and Mark Bouchard goes far beyond prepping for the high...

Recorded after the anniversary of Officer Diego Moreno's death, 7 years later, I reflect on his mentorship, the range of emotions we face in loss, and a recall and discussion of purpose and morale in police work. I explored what we can do about morale following the hardship of 2020, sharing 5 things we can do to promote positive morale in ourselves and our teams. Lastly, in a nod to the developing listenership, I cover a couple questions about starting the career right- from safe...

A career in policing can bring you your highest highs (epic arrests, life-shifting moments, hilarious hijinks) and your lowest loss (tragedy, trauma, death and devastation). In this episode, I connect with veteran and former officer, Eric Tansey. Eric and I connected on social media due to his work with the Failure to Stop podcast. We talk about LIFE: his military experience, ups and downs and his exit his police career, family, and his new book (upcoming in the interview, ...

First responder work isn't just work... it's a way of life. It is demanding, it is challenging. It goes long and pops up unexpectedly. Add in a marriage, family with kids, household duties, and now we are in a full-fledged circus. What about an additional vocation or business? Are things coming off the rails? Enter my guests, Matt Porter and Tim Fasnacht. These are two dudes in the law enforcement training community that walk the walk and talk the talk.&nbs...

We talk about the stress, the real talk: how do we combat the bad stuff with wellness, training, and leadership mindset.. but what about the REAL GOOD stuff? Prompted from a listener question, I assembled this positivity panel with help from YOU, with the goal of solely focusing on the positive, good attitude and mentality that we can CHOOSE to foster daily. Easier said than done, but my guests were 100% up for the task. — Matt Fagiana is a law enforcement veteran and the CEO of ...

Retreat. Rejuvenate. Reflect. Refresh. Reorient. Rebirth. There are many RE words that focus on positive shifts we can do as individuals and couples. Often, we get stuck in the swirl of routines, stressors, obligations - from work to kids... where we don't make much time for ourselves and each other. In this episode, I connect with profoundly insightful doctors and spouses Jim and Lisa. They not only facilitated a couple’s retreat that my wife and I were able to attend and learn f...

Are you strong? No doubt, cops and first responders SHOULD be strong, but how strong? What is "strength"? Is it being able to bench 300 lbs on a good day, all wrapped up, but gassing out when you have to carry a shield and ram up a flight of stairs? In this discussion, my guests Anthony Shefferly (active SWAT cop and tactical strength coach) and Paige Arnone (founder of Firstgevity) dive in and define strength, not only in a technical sense, but in terms of practicality and with ...

Many first responder, military veterans and people of ACTION have a gripe about therapy... they don't feel like it moves to ACTION. Many recognize the power of reflecting, talking, sharing, but after that - what then? Veteran and therapist Matt Donnelly has an answer to this "so what, now what" that resonates with many in our community. In this conversation, we talk about his background, his own struggles in youth and military career transition, and concept of identity. We talk about se...

The police testing and hiring process is long. It's tedious, arduous, even. This is all for a good reason - we put a huge amount of trust and responsibility in the hands of anyone who works in the criminal justice, policing, and law enforcement fields. The biggest impact for those interested, applying, and trying to enter the arena is to DO THE SIMPLE THINGS RIGHT, and beware, navigate and avoid the most common obstacles and issues. Some of these trends and issues will end your career b...

Over-worked, understaffed and resourced. This isn't just sworn officers, deputies, troopers, and detectives - but our invaluable support staff. Everyone has to manage review of statements, jail calls, data and records compilation. How do we streamline getting all this audio to text for quicker review and ultimately, what the prosecution will likely require? Ben Walker joins us to talk about the critical role of data transcription - how dramatic the speed and efficiency can improve...

Have you had a leader/boss/manager who had confidence, but nothing to back it.. or the converse- someone that had the experience and insight but struggled to show and step up to direct and share the vision? Confidence and competence are so crucial and we need to help develop them in all of our leaders- emerging and those who already hold the rank. Joining me in this discussion are three dynamic voices in our LE space: for training, development, and leadership. — Jeff Selleg worked in la...

What gets us into the most trouble? What causes the most fear in officers? There is no doubt that safety and tactics are paramount, but how even those battles are ultimately fought in the legal arena.. Proper action and proper articulation come with proper education and proper training. Bad headlines, bad outcomes, cops getting sued and charged result from these trends. In this discussion with fmr. LEO and current law enforcement legal guru - Anthony Bandiero from Blue to Go...

We always go home. We never quit. We finish our fights. We do our best, we train mentally and physically. We tell ourselves mind over matter... but as we also learn, the suspect gets a vote. Danger gets a vote. Fate gets a vote. And in this life, we can plan, practice, strategize to play our best hand... but we don't hold all the cards. Our bodies can break. We can get shot in the face... Life beyond the badge is something we discuss here, and two friends D...

Ok, I study for the test... but what ELSE do I do to prep for this dream job? This dream unit selection? This dream promotion I have been grinding my whole career for? For years before Blue Grit or my stint in hiring, people in my circles would ask about what they should be focusing on or working toward for their upcoming interviews and selection process. This this episode, I share about some of the mindset and concepts to put into play that can be used for any police (or other!) selection pr...

Police promotion testing can be intimidating, even for those who have been through a process. There's the different components, but the interviews can be the most tricky and daunting. In this episode, retired Seattle Police Capt. Brian Stampfl and I discuss key themes, tips, and strategies so you can own the process and your outcomes. It includes and goes far beyond: Mindset, reducing anxiety, scoring points, knowing your material, thinking like the rank and much more! (And don't ...