In law enforcement, wellness can’t be an afterthought — it must be part of the foundation of operations. That means moving beyond surface-level initiatives to fully integrating mental health support into operations, training and leadership strategies. From proactive threat assessment to long-term officer resilience and retirement planning, embedding behavioral health into daily practice is key to building a healthier, more effective agency. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley talks with Dr. Cherylynn Lee, a police psychologist with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, about weaving behavioral science into tactical operations, threat assessment and daily officer interactions. From co-responder units to retirement planning, Dr. Lee explains how agencies can proactively support both sworn and civilian staff. Read more from Dr. Lee on Police1 here. Connect with Dr. Lee on LinkedIn. About our sponsor 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.

When officers respond to a call that seems routine — like a mental health check — they often have no idea how quickly that encounter could escalate. For Officer Alessandra Winterbauer of the Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department, what began as a calm conversation with a confused subject turned into a life-or-death confrontation. Her ability to remain composed and rely on recent virtual reality training helped avoid a deadly outcome and led to her recognition with Axon’s 2025 Jack Cover Save of the Year Award. Officer Winterbauer and a colleague were dispatched to check on a man experiencing a possible mental health crisis. After a calm 20-minute conversation, the man abruptly asked, “If I come at you guys with a knife, will you shoot me?” Moments later, he sprinted toward officers. Winterbauer deployed her TASER 10 from over 30 feet away — just minutes after completing VR-based TASER training. Her successful response neutralized the threat without serious injury, demonstrating the real-world value of immersive, high-frequency training. Click here to find out how to join the Lincoln Police Department. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.

In a rare bit of encouraging news, the FBI’s 2024 report on active shooter incidents shows a 50% drop in cases — from 48 in 2023 to 24 in 2024. But is this a trend or an outlier? In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley talks with two of the country’s foremost experts on mass shootings and prevention: former FBI executive Katherine Schweit, author of “Stop the Killing” and host of “Stop the Killing” podcast and psychologist Dr. Peter Langman, author and threat assessment consultant. They break down what’s behind the drop and what law enforcement and communities need to do to sustain progress. Schweit and Langman dig into key drivers behind the decline, including expanded civilian preparedness, stronger threat assessment protocols in schools, improved collaboration between law enforcement and behavioral health, and the use of AI technologies like ZeroEyes. They also weigh in on legislative factors such as red flag laws and gun purchase restrictions, while warning about new threats like increased use of IEDs and the normalization of political violence. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.

Domestic violence is often dismissed as unpredictable, but the data says otherwise. Red flags — like strangulation, firearm access and prior abuse — frequently precede fatal outcomes. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Captain Eric K. Threlkeld of the Eddy County (New Mexico) Sheriff’s Office, who makes the case that proactive, well-trained investigators can identify these signs and intervene before violence turns deadly. Captain Threlkeld brings decades of specialized experience in domestic violence investigations to this conversation, including work with a nationally recognized domestic violence response team in Colorado Springs and the launch of a similar program in New Mexico. He outlines practical steps first responders and investigators can take to treat every domestic violence call as a potential homicide case. From leveraging victim advocates and lethality assessments to tracking co-occurring abuse patterns, this episode delivers field-tested insight for every officer. About our sponsor 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.

Over the past 30 years, American cities have seen crime rates surge and fall — sometimes dramatically. No city illustrates this swing better than New York, where murders dropped from more than 2,200 in 1990 to under 300 by 2017. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, former Baltimore cop and current John Jay professor Peter Moskos discusses the story behind that decline, as told in his new book, “Back from the Brink: Inside the NYPD and New York's Extraordinary 1990s Crime Drop.” The conversation covers leadership, accountability, crime data and the lessons law enforcement leaders can apply today. Host Jim Dudley interviews Moskos about the origins and impact of New York’s historic crime decline in the 1990s. Moskos explains how NYPD's shift in focus — from scandal and corruption control to crime prevention — was spurred by leaders like Bill Bratton and Jack Maple, along with innovations like CompStat. He outlines how data, accountability and political will converged to create a seismic shift in policing outcomes, and why understanding this history matters for today’s police leaders. About our sponsor 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.

Snohomish County 911 has officially opened a new $67.5 million emergency communications center designed to keep first responders connected and supported — no matter the crisis. The facility consolidates operations under one roof for the first time in the agency’s history, dramatically improving coordination, communications and continuity of service across all 44 law enforcement, fire and EMS agencies in the county. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley talks with SNO911 Executive Director Kurt Mills and ECC Supervisor Kim Crannell about the planning, challenges and people behind the $67.5 million upgrade. The conversation highlights how the facility was designed with dispatcher input, how it’s built to withstand disasters and how unified operations are already improving service for first responders in the field. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.

What happens inside a jail is often hidden from public view — unless you’ve been booked yourself. But for Flagler County, Florida, Sheriff Rick Staly, transparency isn’t just a talking point — it’s a strategy. By opening his facility to A&E’s “Booked: First Day In,” Staly hopes to reshape perceptions of corrections work, showcase the professionalism of his staff and highlight how modern jails play a vital role in community safety. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Sheriff Staly about his decision to allow A&E cameras into his jail and the positive ripple effects it has had. From building empathy with the public to drawing in new recruits, Staly says the program has helped humanize corrections work, combat stereotypes and reinforce accountability inside the walls of his award-winning facility. “Booked: First Day In” is available On Demand and to stream on the A&E app and aetv.com. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.

Police1’s "What Cops Want in 2025" survey delivers a stark message: officers feel increasingly vulnerable on the job. In a wide-ranging conversation, host Jim Dudley and Below 100 founder Dale Stockton break down the survey’s key findings, exposing persistent safety threats and a growing disconnect between command staff and the realities of front-line policing. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Utility. Utility is transforming how law enforcement captures, manages and shares critical data through body-worn cameras, in-car video, and a fully integrated digital evidence platform. Our mission is to empower officers with technology that’s intuitive, reliable, and built for the realities of the job. We're proud to sponsor today’s conversation around what officers need most to serve their communities safely and effectively. To learn more about how we’re supporting agencies nationwide, visit Utility.com 

Policing Matters podcast host and deputy chief Jim Dudley (ret.) paid a visit to Axon Week 2025 to get an exclusive look at some of the revolutionary advancements in public safety technology and the thought leaders and technology experts making them happen. In this special episode, sponsored by Axon, Dudley sits down with Jeff Kunins, chief product officer and chief technology officer of Axon, to discuss Axon’s AI-driven innovations, real-time tools, ethical design and support for modernizing public safety technology ecosystems. About our sponsor This episode of Policing Matters is sponsored by Axon – the global leader in public safety technology. Discover how Axon is empowering first responders with innovative tools and training to build safer communities and protect more lives in more places at axon.com.  

Cyber attacks against public safety agencies are rising, with 324 confirmed globally in 2024, including 25 complete system shutdowns. The Public Safety Threat Alliance, established by Motorola Solutions, is a cyber threat Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) recognized by CISA that provides actionable intelligence to public safety agencies across the globe to improve their resilience and defense capabilities. Membership in the PSTA is open to all public safety agencies, and there is no cost to join for public sector organizations. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, part of a special report from Motorola Solutions Summit 2025, host Jim Dudley speaks with William DeCoste, STARS Program Manager and Telecommunications Engineer Manager with the Virginia State Police Communications Division and Jay Kaine, the Director of Threat Intelligence at Motorola Solutions. They tackle the direct effect cyber attacks can have on public safety agencies and the collaborative efforts underway to combat them. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Motorola Solutions.

For police officers, access to the right information at the right time is critical. Most operate in a sea of data from across public safety systems — radio dialogue, streaming video from fixed, mobile and body cameras, location data — but it can be hard to identify and analyze what’s most important in the moment. New devices and applications of artificial intelligence are simplifying technology for officers and providing contextual and actionable information that’s personalized for the time, person and place where decisions need to be made. They are further unifying sources of evidence for a more comprehensive timeline of events and more accurate reports. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, part of a special report from Motorola Solutions Summit 2025, host Jim Dudley sits down with James Felton, Manager of IT Services with the Peel Regional Police in Canada and Jason Hutchens, Area Sales Manager for Software at Motorola Solutions to discuss how the convergence of radio, video and AI can serve as a force multiplier, capturing and synthesizing a greater diversity of data throughout an incident for expedited emergency response and more accurate police reporting. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Motorola Solutions.

Bringing 911 intelligence directly into real-time crime centers can help expedite police response when children go missing, retail thefts occur or shots are fired. Advances in technology are making it possible for RTCC analysts to review real-time transcripts and translations of emergency calls, AI-generated call summaries and videos or images from community members. This situational awareness helps officers to better understand what’s happening and shave potentially life-saving seconds from their response to emergencies. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, part of a special report from Motorola Solutions Summit 2025, host Jim Dudley speaks with Glendale Interim Chief of Police Colby Brandt and Dave Wilson, Retired Assistant Police Chief and Senior Solutions Specialist with Motorola Solutions. They explore how agencies are using technology to expedite the response to community and enterprise-reported 9-1-1 incidents. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Motorola Solutions.

In the wake of 2020’s seismic shifts in public perception, police agencies across the country are reevaluating their strategies for preventing crime. While reactive policing still dominates the landscape, there’s growing recognition that proactive strategies — built on research, precision and community engagement — offer a more sustainable path forward. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley sits down with one of the leading voices in evidence-based policing to discuss how officers and agencies can move beyond fear and resistance and toward effective, proactive crime reduction. Dr. Cynthia Lum is a former Baltimore police officer turned professor of criminology, law and society, and director of George Mason University’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy. A national leader in translating research into practice, Dr. Lum discusses how police can break away from outdated “toolkits” and instead build smarter, more strategic approaches to patrol. She emphasizes that proactive policing isn’t about doing more stops — it’s about doing the right work in the right way, backed by data and shaped by mentoring, organizational support and critical thinking. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.

With over 240 million 911 calls made each year, a faster response time to a call can make a consequential difference. Drone as a First Responder programs allow 911 call handlers to immediately dispatch drones in response to emergency calls, streaming video of the scene back to the command center and to officers in the field so that they arrive better prepared. Drones purpose-built for public safety can even deliver various payloads, including medication, defibrillators and other devices. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, part of a special report from Motorola Solutions Summit 2025, host Jim Dudley sits down with Billy Gessner, Technical Manager for the Real-Time Operations Center at the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Alan Melvin (ret.) North Carolina State Highway Patrol and Industry Team for Motorola Solutions, to learn about the benefits of drone as first responders and advice on implementing the technology. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Motorola Solutions.

Paperwork is a necessary reality of police work, but a handful of public safety agencies are introducing innovative new technologies to streamline how this work is done and help maximize the time officers are able to spend on the beat. The Los Angeles Police Department is one of the first major police departments in the U.S. to adopt a mobile-first vision for policing, enabling its officers to perform field work on their phones. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, part of a special report from Motorola Solutions Summit 2025, host Jim Dudley sits down with Monique Turner, Information Systems Manager with the Los Angeles Police Department, and Dave Wilson, retired assistant police chief and senior solutions specialist with Motorola Solutions to dive into the Los Angeles Police Department’s mobile-first approach and how it’s helping officers spend more time on patrol. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Motorola Solutions.

A challenge in emergency response is often the gap between the rapidly evolving event and the information available to authorities. By establishing secure channels for community partners to share vital data including emergency contacts, floor plans and security camera livestreams, authorities are able to gain enhanced real-time visibility. This bridging of information enables more precise and effective interventions that prioritize the safety and well-being of the community. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, part of a special report from Motorola Solutions Summit 2025, host Jim Dudley sits down with Mike Armitage, the executive director of Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority and Lashinda Stair, retired assistant police chief and current industry team director with Motorola Solutions to discuss how programs that connect law enforcement and community organizations and businesses can help first responders be better informed during emergencies. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Motorola Solutions.

Technology alone won’t transform policing — but how you use it will. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley explores the mindset shift that’s helping law enforcement agencies maximize impact: using layered technology, shared intelligence and integrated systems to solve crimes faster and respond more effectively — no matter the department’s size. He talks with two leaders tackling this issue from very different ends of the policing spectrum: Deputy Chief John McMahon of the Los Angeles Police Department and Chief Brian Bubar of the San Pablo Police Department. Deputy Chief McMahon brings a big-city perspective, where 4.5 million people and 8,800 officers demand tech-driven efficiency. Meanwhile, Chief Bubar commands a 62-sworn department covering just 2.6 square miles — but with a history as one of the most violent cities per capita, he’s using layered tech solutions to punch above his weight. Together, they explore how their agencies are using software platforms like Peregrine to unify data, why interoperability is critical to public safety and how real-time intelligence can’t be limited by jurisdictional lines. About our sponsor Peregrine’s real-time decision and operations management platform empowers law enforcement agencies with the data they need to solve their hardest problems and do their best work. Through advanced data integration technology, Peregrine maximizes the impact of your real-time crime center by centralizing and organizing historical and real-time data, making it readily accessible and actionable in the moments that matter most. Visit peregrine.io to learn how your organization can get started.

Crime statistics are meant to help police departments identify trends, allocate resources and shape effective public safety strategies. But what if the national crime data we rely on — like FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) and NIBRS — is incomplete, outdated or misleading? In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Jeff Asher — CIA-trained crime analyst, former New Orleans Police Department data expert and founder of AH Datalytics — about the challenges with traditional crime data collection and the rise of real-time crime monitoring tools. They discuss why the transition to NIBRS has been slow and inconsistent, and how delays in national reporting limit law enforcement’s ability to respond to crime trends. Asher, who also publishes the Jeffalytics Substack newsletter, has emerged as a national voice on U.S. crime trends. Drawing from his experience in both federal intelligence and local law enforcement, he explains why agencies need faster, more transparent access to crime data — and how tools like the Realtime Crime Index are filling the gap. Subscribe to Asher’s Jeffalytics newsletter on Substack for weekly insights into crime statistics, data reliability, and what the numbers really mean. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.

Every officer knows traffic is dangerous — but most don't realize how fast everything can change. Bob Bemis didn’t either, until March 27, 2015. Responding to a vehicle fire, he was struck by a swerving car, crushed and left fighting to walk, see and live again. Today, the retired Pennsylvania State Police sergeant is on a mission to change how agencies prepare officers for roadside dangers. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Bemis and Jack Sullivan, Director of Training at the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, about the About our sponsor 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.

When we talk about officer safety, our minds often go straight to firearms and physical confrontations — but one of the deadliest threats doesn’t come from an armed suspect. It comes from traffic. Every year, roadway incidents rank among the top causes of line-of-duty deaths for law enforcement. And while the risk is constant, many agencies still approach this hazard with outdated training, inconsistent protocols and little coordination across departments. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley sits down with Jack Sullivan, Director of Training for the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, to discuss the state of roadside safety for law enforcement officers. Sullivan, a veteran in the field of traffic incident management, shares alarming statistics, real-world stories and actionable strategies to reduce risks — from engineering fixes and digital alerting systems to cross-agency coordination. About our sponsor 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.