On Being a Police Officer

Ep. 79 As Child Abuse Detective Kristen King says in this episode, “If you haven’t cried in child abuse, you probably haven’t been there long enough or you’re lying.” In the years I’ve interviewed law enforcement, officers have always said that incidents with kids are the hardest. I wanted to shine a light on those that handle these cases on a daily basis. Kristen has been with Dallas PD for 12 years. We review her career and talk about her not so predictable path to choosing law enforcement, some memorable calls from patrol and making the move to Child Abuse, something she said she knew she wanted to do during training. As she says, when it comes to crimes involving children – children are always going to be the victims, and she wants to help give them a voice. She cites the hard work of a multidisciplinary team of experts, agencies and organizations that make this possible. Kristen explains what constitutes child abuse, the calls she has responded to and the cases she has handled as well as the importance of weighing all the variables when determining if an incident was a crime, an accident, or just bad parenting. Kristen shares the emotional toll this work can take and why wellness matters — a topic that connects to Ep. 77 in which I interviewed her husband, Dallas Police Officer Joe King, head of the department’s wellness unit and host of the podcast ATO: Bridging the Divide.A big part of Kristen’s passion is educating families on various topics to keep their kids safe. For example, why teaching “Stranger Danger” falls short because most assaults on children are committed by someone known to the child. She talks about what parents should teach their kids and how to recognize warning signs. We also cover Kristen’s efforts to educate families on the importance of properly storing firearms in the home to prevent injuries and fatalities due to a child’s access to unsecured weapons which can lead to the charge known as "Making a Firearm Accessible to a Child." And Kristen launched a campaign for which she helped raise funding called “Tiny Breaths Safe Sleep” about safe sleeping habits for babies – life saving tips that many parents may be unaware of.This is a powerful episode on the work being done every day to protect our children.Thank you, Kristen!You can find Kristen on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-king10671/Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police Officer Abby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.orgJim Dudley of Police1’s “Policing Matters” interview with me!

Ep. 78 - LAPD Gang Detective Tim Pearce reflects on choosing law enforcement; working the CRASH Gang Unit with his partner Kristina Ripatti who would become his wife; and on the “Officer Needs Help” call that changed everything for them both.Tim joined LAPD in 1996 in the wake of the Rodney King riots and the OJ Simpson trial working Skid Row as a rookie and later what was then known as South Central. Tim was paired with Kristina who he met in the Academy as patrol partners and later as partners on the CRASH Gang Unit assigned to the Rollin’ 30s Harlem Crips.We discuss all elements that go into collecting gang intel – the cars they drive, who they hang out with, their monikers, their secret monikers. He shares the hair-raising incident he responded to with Kristina that brought him face to face with a gangster and his shotgun and the millisecond decision that saved Tim’s life.Tim and Kristina would marry in 2003 soon after have a daughter. They remained on the Gang Unit working separate districts. Then, on June 3, 2006, Tim and his partner responded to the “Officer Needs Help” call. That officer, he would soon learn, was Kristina.This is Tim’s story. It’s Kristina’s story. It’s also the story of what all of you risk every time you hit the streets. It is my feeling that the experiences of officers who have been injured in the line of duty and the impact on them and their loved ones is rarely told.It is important to note that through this experience, Tim has been inspired to help law enforcement in a unique way. He has created a gunshot wound simulator called Accuracy Under Fire — a training tool designed to help officers respond while injured and under direct attack. Tim believes AUFIRE will help save law enforcement and military lives. Please check out Tim’s website to learn more.Accuracy Under Firehttps://www.aufire.com/tim@aufire.com Find Tim on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/timpearceaufire/We also talk about the fascinating story behind the film “Nothing to see here: Watts” which Tim helped produce and direct. It’s a unique documentary made by rival gang members, police, victims of violence all from Watts in LA. Check out the trailer here:https://nothingtoseeheremovie.com/Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.orgMy interview with Jim Dudley on Police1’s “Policing Matters” 

Ep. 77 - Many of you know Dallas PD’s Joe King as the host of the compelling podcast “ATO: Bridging the Divide” which supports the mission of the Assist the Officer Foundation. Joe joined The Dallas Police Department in 1997, starting out in the Southeast Division. We talk about why he chose law enforcement, an early critical incident that sticks with him to this day, and how he quickly was drawn to street level narcotics and gangs which he worked for 20 years.On July 7th, 2016, everything changed for Joe, the Dallas Police Department and Dallas. That night, while DPD was working an anti-police protest, a shooter opened fire on officers working the protest, killing five, injuring nine other officers and two civilians. Those we lost are known as the Dallas Five, and they include one of Joe’s close friends, Senior Corporal Lorne Ahrens. Joe recounts how the tragic events of that night unfolded with much of the killing horrifyingly playing out on live television. He details the SWAT response and the hours-long standoff that resulted in the shooter’s being neutralized by a bomb on a remote-controlled bomb robot.The shooting was the deadliest incident for US law enforcement since 9/ 11, surpassing the March 2009 shootings of four officers in Oakland, CA, and the November 2009 murders of four officers just south of Seattle in Lakewood, WA known as the Lakewood Four. Their deaths were preceded by the ambush murder of Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton less than a month earlier. I lived in the greater Seattle area at the time and experienced the devastation of this tragedy. When the Dallas Five were killed, as I tell Joe, I may have been thousands of miles away, but my heart was with Dallas.Joe shares the impact on him and his fellow officers. His journey through grief and the cumulative effect of prior traumas led him to seek help through the Assist the Officer Foundation’s confidential counseling.Joe has since joined the board of the Foundation which is a non-profit that not only provides trauma support but also financial assistance to first responders in need. Joe amplifies the mission with the “ATO: Bridging the Divide” podcast for which he interviews first responders from Dallas and around the country. They share their stories of trauma and resilience and how their agencies handle wellness.Joe also helped create and serves on Dallas PD’s Wellness Unit which takes a very proactive role in caring for Dallas police officers. That Unit and ATO were both put to the test following the 2024 ambush murder of Officer Darron Burks who, only a few months out of the Academy, was shot and killed while in his patrol car.  Joe says, “the Wellness Unit snapped into action that night. It was really a night-and-day response from 2016 to 2024 with critical incident response.”Thank you, Joe for all you have done and for all you do.I’d like to honor The Dallas Five for their service and for paying the ultimate sacrifice to protect the rest of us:Senior Corporal Lorne AhrensOfficer Patricio Enrique ZamarripaOfficer Michael Leslie KrolSgt. Michael Joseph SmithDART Officer Brent Thompson And to honor

Ep. 76 Andre Lemay’s law enforcement career spans 33 years starting in 1991 with the Pittsburg Police Department in the Bay Area of CA and later as special agent for the California Department of Justice, a role he had for 26.5 years.We dive into his early critical incidents on patrol including his first life-or-death fight with a suspect who was not trying to get away, but who intended to do serious harm. Andre also talks about the harrowing experience of coming to the aid of fellow officers engaged in a shooting that nearly took their lives. He discusses achieving his dream assignment in Narcotics and the unique challenges of doing undercover work in the city in which he grew up.In 1997, Andre joined a DOJ Task Force in CA while with Pittsburg PD and then in 1998, lateraled to the California DOJ as a special agent where he continued working in Narcotics. He later moved into the agency’s Bureau of Firearms where he investigated firearms crimes at the local, state, and federal levels. In 2011 he created a K9 firearms detection task force that sparked his passion for working with detection dogs. That passion became his next chapter following his retirement in 2024—founding K9 Bullseye Detection, a unique program that uses highly-trained firearms detection dogs for school safety including protection not only from gun violence but also from the spread of deadly drugs like fentanyl.Andre reflects on the changes he has seen over the past 30+ years in terms of how drugs and illegal firearms ownership and sales are prosecuted, and we discuss the impact of policies that decriminalize drug use on law enforcement’s ability to get dangerous criminals off the street.Check out Andre’s website where you also can find his contact info:https://bullseyek9detection.net/Andre’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-lemay-049257270/Bullseye K9 Detection on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bullseyek9detection/Also check out this article in Police Mag:https://www.policemag.com/special-units/article/15736766/innovating-school-securityThanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Police1 Q&A with me:https://www.police1.com/patrol-issues/policing-podcast-profiles-on-being-a-police-officer-podcast-shares-the-raw-truth-behind-the-badge Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 75 – Strap in for a wild ride as On Being a Police Officer teams up with Cameron Santana of Santana True Crime to sit down with Eric Tansey—former cop, veteran, and host of the hit YouTube Show and Podcast Failure to Stop—to talk about his upcoming book, Pig Latin: A Seriously Funny True Story of a Former Police Officer, dropping August 26.Because Cameron was Eric’s field training officer (featured in the book as Jayce), this is the only interview where you’ll get the story behind the story. And you’ll hear some Eric adventures that aren’t in the book.Eric served with the Raleigh Police Department from 2012 to 2019, after his time as a U.S. Army paratrooper in Special Ops from 2003 to 2010. As Eric says, he joined the police force with a ton of unrealistic expectations. The reality of the job knocked him down and changed his perspective on everything. Always a magnet for uncanny, wild situations, Eric reveals exactly what it’s like to deal with everyday life as a police officer—from trying to tackle naked suspects to pepper spraying himself in the face, from dealing with an angry mob to coaxing suicidal subject off a bridge. Beyond the darkly funny anecdotes, Eric explains how PIG LATIN aims to build empathy for law enforcement professionals and remind them they are not alone in their fears and mistakes. Tune in for an insider’s ride‑along that will make you laugh, cringe and see policing in a new light.Also check out Ep. 74, a repost of my 2023 interview with Eric which covers not only the book, but his childhood, the breakdowns he’s done on Failure To Stop, how he became a sommelier and so much more.Get his book on Amazon:“Pig Latin: a seriously funny true story of a former police officer” You can find Eric on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erictansey_official/ And Cameron: https://www.instagram.com/santanatruecrime/Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.comCheck out this Police1 Q&A with me:https://www.police1.com/patrol-issues/policing-podcast-profiles-on-being-a-police-officer-podcast-shares-the-raw-truth-behind-the-badge©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 74 – Join me on this re-airing of a wild ride of an interview from 2023 with Eric Tansey, co-creator and host of Failure to Stop (FTS) and former Raleigh Police Department officer from 2012 to 2019. If you follow Eric on FTS, then you know he is a high-energy, highly-engaging storyteller. And nowhere is that more evident than in his soon-to-be released book, “Pig Latin: a Seriously Funny True Story of a Former Police Officer.” I had the opportunity to read an advance manuscript and talk with Eric about some of the crazy and as well as poignant stories in the book. My next episode, Ep. 75, is a brand-new interview with Eric as a crossover with Cameron Santana, host of Santana True Crime. Cameron was Eric’s field training officer and is featured in the book, so it’s a unique perspective to share. We get into even more stories, some of them not in the book. In this 2023 interview, Eric and I discuss why he got into law enforcement following his service in Special Ops as a US Army paratrooper from 2003 to 2010. We get into a few dramatic incidents from the book which include totaling his car after hydroplaning during a pursuit; having his leg broken while fighting with a murder suspect (“I got 12 screws, two pins, a plate and a rod in my left leg.”) And the time he took his mother on a ride-along, making a “routine” traffic stop, and ending up in one of the most brutal beatings he ever suffered, all with his mom watching. We also talk about the incident that is one he just can’t shake. And of course, we cover how his law enforcement career came to an end when he was fired from Raleigh PD in 2019. As he does on FTS, we get into police incidents, the issues facing law enforcement today, and the frustrations of the public’s misperceptions of police. We revisit a breakdown that he originally did with Mike the Cop (link below).  YouTube link to FTS breakdown of Akron Police Department incident:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zpN8TEcSB8Here is the Amazon link to Eric’s book coming out on Aug. 26, 2025:“Pig Latin: a seriously funny true story of a former police officer”You can find Eric on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erictansey_official/Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Check out this Police1 Q&A with me:https://www.police1.com/patrol-issues/policing-podcast-profiles-on-being-a-police-officer-podcast-shares-the-raw-truth-behind-the-badge Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 73 – Switching Mics: Kent PD Police Commander Eric Tung of Blue Grit Wellness Interviews Me on My 15-Year Mission to Support Law Enforcement and the Story Behind This Podcast. This episode is a crossover with my friend and fellow podcaster Eric Tung of Blue Grit Wellness and Blue Grit Radio. I am honored to have been a guest on his show and to be able to share it here. Here is how Eric described this episode on “Blue Grit Radio:”“If only people understood what we did.. why we do this job.. what it takes.. what it tests.. If only they knew we were people, doing our best..I connected with Abby in July 2023 and was humbled to be featured in an interview with her, (Ep. 47 of On Being a Police Officer). In it, she called out my "relentless optimism." It was one of the coolest compliments I've heard and part of me wanted to deny it since optimism is often a struggle and by no means easy. (However, I can't prove her wrong, since I'm still doing this thing called Blue Grit - and that's the whole point of it!). I've gotten to know Abby from and before that interview, and to see/hear/learn more about her. It's not just WHY she does the work, but HOW she does it, which makes me truly inspired. This is what prompted me to ask if she would be willing to flip the mics as it were and be the guest on my show. She has a servant's heart, desire to help, and humility and care in spades. I am honored to be able to share and highlight HER story, as she shares and highlights so many of ours.”Thank you, Eric! Also, I also am thrilled to share that Police1, the national law enforcement news outlet, recently published a Q&A with me about my podcast and why I do it. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity because it helps me reach more officers with my message of support. As Nancy Perry of Police1 wrote: “With no ads or subscription fees, Ellsworth’s only goal is support: for officers and for the truth.”  Police1 Q&A with me:https://www.police1.com/patrol-issues/policing-podcast-profiles-on-being-a-police-officer-podcast-shares-the-raw-truth-behind-the-badgeYou can find Eric on his website:https://www.bluegritwellness.com/On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluegritradio/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluegritwellness  Tik Tok @bluegritwellness.On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-tung-a83459203/His podcast Blue Grit Radio is available on all podcast platforms.Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com

Ep. 72 Tessa Melville has been with the Kent Police Department for eight years, though her introduction to law enforcement began much earlier through her stepfather, a police officer, and her mother, a dispatcher. The realities of the job were made very clear before she even started. At just 16 years old, Tessa joined her parents in attending the memorial service for the devastating ambush murders of four Lakewood Police Department officers – known as the Lakewood Four – all of them gunned down as they sat in a coffee shop on a Sunday morning in 2009.With only three months on with Kent PD, Tessa would face her own critical incidents including responding to the scene of the line of duty death of Kent Police Officer Diego Moreno during which she rendered aid to both him and another officer seriously wounded in a crash at the scene. We discuss the lasting impact of this incident on her and how it helped shape her career and her outlook.After three years in patrol, Tessa became a field training officer, a role which she says has been one of her most challenging. A few years later, Tessa joined the Detective Unit to work Special Assault, cases which include sexual assault, domestic violence, internet crimes against children, and elder abuse. Tessa decided to join this unit in part because of her personal experience as a sexual assault survivor. She wanted to bring her learnings and a trauma-informed approach to the work. However, after nearly two years as a detective on this unit, Tessa decided to return to patrol while continuing to investigate some of her cases, the reasons for which we will discuss.We also talk about how she didn't really consider law enforcement as a profession even with her family affiliation. She chose first to go into the military, where she spent five years in the Navy as a Green Side hospital corpsman where she received specialized training in traumatic field care, training she has put to use as a police officer.Thank you, Tessa. You can find Tessa:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamelville/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-m-210959114/I would like to honor the service and ultimate sacrifice of Officer Diego Moreno. EOW Sunday, July 22, 2018https://www.odmp.org/officer/23727-police-officer-diego-moreno Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/abby.ellsworth.52/YouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org 

Ep. 71 – Officer Tevon Davis on Losing His Gang Member Brother in a Police ShootoutIn this powerful crossover episode, I co-host alongside former Raleigh Police Officer Cameron Santana on the Santana True Crime podcast.We sit down with Officer Tevon Davis, who shares the deeply personal and emotional story of his older brother Tyre—a Piru Bloods gang member who was killed in a shootout with Norfolk Police after murdering a fellow gang member. For years, Tevon harbored resentment toward law enforcement, unaware of the full circumstances surrounding his brother’s death. His perspective changed only after learning the truth.Tevon opens up about the pain of losing his brother, how he came close to following the same path, and what ultimately led him to choose a career in law enforcement. It’s a raw, nuanced conversation about grief, resilience and redemption.Listen to this gripping episode on my podcast and on Santana True Crime, part of the Failure to Stop network.Check out Cameron’s book, “A Murder on Campus: The Professor, the Cop and North Carolina's Most Notorious Cold Case,” which investigates the 1973 unsolved rape and murder of 19-year-old Virginia Olson.Thank you, Cameron and Tevon. And a special thanks to Eric Tansey of Failure to Stop for connecting us. Pre-order Eric’s book, “Pig Latin: A Seriously Funny True Story of a Former Police Officer” which will be published in August. Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 70 - From Raleigh PD to True Crime Author: Cameron Santana on his law enforcement career and the Virginia Olson Cold Case. Cameron has 20 years in law enforcement. He started with Raleigh PD in 2005. In our conversation, we jump right in with his first call straight out of the academy – a violent murder scene. Cameron talks about what it’s like hitting the streets with no real world LE experience, being surrounded by chaos and relying on the direction of his Field Training Officer. Then, within short two years, Cameron would go from having an FTO to being an FTO and later Taser Instructor. In all, he trained more than 30 officers.Cameron later joined Raleigh PD’s Strike Team the goal of which was to aggressively address the city’s problem areas through proactive policing. The unit’s focus was on violent gang offenders, street level drug sales, and prostitution. The team also conducted surveillance during spikes in burglaries. After about 13 years on patrol, Cameron transitioned to School Resource Officer because the set schedule would allow him to spend more time with his family after his daughter was born with special needs. School Resource Officer was a role he never expected he would want, much less come to love. Throughout our conversation, Cameron shares funny, often wild stories of police work, as well as the painful calls that all of you respond to in this profession, calls that live with him to this day.Cameron has co-authored a true crime book with his brother Brian, an English professor. The book, “A Murder on Campus: The Professor, the Cop and North Carolina's Most Notorious Cold Case,” investigates the 1973 unsolved rape and murder of 19-year-old Virginia Olson, a student at University of North Carolina Asheville. It is the first book to thoroughly investigate her story and attempt to find answers to solve this now 52-year-old cold case. The book has led to Cameron’s launching his own podcast “Santana True Crime” on the Failure to Stop network. As well as a podcast called “Free Daniel Holtzclaw” with Eric Tansey of Failure to Stop. Available on all podcast platforms. Links below.I want to thank Cameron for coming on the show, his commitment to law enforcement, and his mission to not only find justice for victims, but also to make sure the rest of us know the story of their lives beyond their incident. Santana True Crime on SpotifyFree Daniel Holtzclaw on SpotifyYou can find Cameron on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/santanatruecrime/https://www.instagram.com/santanabrotherstruecrime/https://www.instagram.com/freeholtzclaw/The book is available wherever books are sold. You can get it here on Amazon.Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: a...

Ep. 69 - LAPD Lt. Jeff Wenninger (ret) – Rodney King Riots; Rampart Scandal and rebuilding the Gang CRASH Unit through leadership and teamwork. Jeff Wenninger is a retired LAPD lieutenant with more than 30 years in law enforcement. He started with L.A. County Sheriff in 1991 and was on patrol during the Rodney King riots.He later lateralled to LAPD in 1993 and went on to work with some of the most highly-trained units, including the Metropolitan Division which encompasses SWAT, K9, high risk warrants, bank stakeouts, and more. The areas of focus over his career have included crowd management, high risk tactical operations, and dignitary protection. As sergeant, he was handpicked as the officer in charge of the Rampart Gang Enforcement detail following the Rampart Scandal in the late 90s, during which he implemented best practices in adherence to the DOJ consent decree. As sergeant and later as lieutenant, Jeff was the officer in charge of the Force Investigation Division and oversaw investigations of lethal force and other significant applications of force. Jeff's work earned him prestigious awards including the LAPD Medal of Valor, Police Star, and Meritorious Unit Citation.Jeff is the founder and CEO of Law Enforcement Consultants, LLC.  He currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his son. And he is working on a book called “On Thin Ice” that will be published on May 6. His goal is to align police methods with societal expectations, improve public trust and enhance police training.Thank you, Jeff!You can find Jeff:LinkedInLEO RoundtableThanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going. Please follow and subscribe. On Apple Podcasts, a five-star review will help a great deal! Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 68 Talking Prison and Street Gangs with returning guest and gang culture expert retired Lt. Brian “BC” Sanders. In his 20+ years with a large agency in the southeastern U.S., Brian served on various proactive units including Gang Suppression, homicide, drug unit, aggravated assault and more. He is known for developing sources, actionable gang intelligence, motivating others to learn and work gangs and pushing disruption initiatives to reduce violence.In this episode, we explore the origins, evolution, and power dynamics of prison gangs – why they form, how they recruit, what their initiations or jump-ins look like, how they tend to self-segregate along racial lines. We compare them to how street gangs operate within the prison including how and why street gang members can still call the shots on the street even while behind bars. And we look at how prison and street gangs coexist.  We delve into the well-known case of Sex Money Murder (SMM) leader “Pistol Pete” Rollack, one of the most notorious gang leaders who famously ordered the murder of two fellow gang members while he was serving a life sentence, a crime that sent him to solitary confinement.If you haven’t already, check out my first conversation with Brian in Ep. 44 in which we talked about types of street gangs, how they recruit, the people who join them and how gangs have evolved over time. We discuss their hand signs, graffiti and bandanas known as flags, and initiations called jump-ins.Brian teaches virtual and in-person classes on gang culture for law enforcement and citizens and how if you know what to look for and what steps to take, you can disrupt the spread and violence of gangs. You can find out more on his website (link below). Also check out Brian’s podcasts “The Disruptors with Brian Sanders” and “Nightshift,” the true crime podcast he co-hosts with the lovely Andrea Up Late on YouTube and all podcast platforms.His website has links to the podcasts, his social media handles and info on his classes. You can contact him directly through the site.https://thedisruptorswithbriansanders.com/The Disruptors on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5QiNmgm8Z5MgQDAzHa6FeI?si=765b5cb1b9674adf&nd=1&dlsi=33e625c9e3984a0fThe Disruptors on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/the_disruptors_podcast/#Night Shift Andrea Up Late YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@andrea_up_late Brian’s email:Thedisruptors.bc.ski@gmail.comThanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and...

Ep. 67 – In Part Two of my interview with NYPD Det. Tom Smith (Ret.) we discuss 9/11 and how the day unfolded for him; what it was like working rescue and recovery at Ground Zero and later at the landfill to identify belongings and remains and the unique emotional toll of trying to identify those we lost.After 9/11, Tom was assigned to the elite FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) for which he held a Top Secret/SCI clearance. As he says in the interview, “The responsibility was enormous…You have to prevent 9/11 from ever happening again. You are now responsible not only for New York, but the world.”While with JTTF, Tom was deployed in 2009 to the war zone in Afghanistan to coordinate the rescue of a New York Times journalist who had been kidnapped by an Al-Qaeda affiliated group. Tom and the JTTF team were able to create and execute a plan to bring this American hostage home. Then in 2018, Tom’s JTTF partner alerted him to a school shooter threat at the high school in upstate NY where Tom was living and working. The high school was the very one his son and daughter were attending. Tom and his partner investigated and built a case that led to the arrest of the would-be shooter finding, among other evidence, the list of students he planned to kill on the last day of school, all of whom were friends of Tom’s kids.We close by reflecting on his 30-year career, the inspiration he drew from his NYPD Detective father, the support of his wife and family. And just how much a thank you means.We of course talk about their true crime podcast the Gold Shields Show which Tom co-hosts with his good buddy retired NYPD Sgt. Dan Murphy. They reached their 100th episode in 2024 and launched Season Three in January 2025 with some incredible guests. You can find them on all podcast platforms. Links below.If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part One of my conversation with Tom. We cover the early days of his career with NYPD starting in 1990 on patrol in Harlem. Within a few years he joined the anti-crime team and later Narcotics where he became a detective. He then moved into Gang Investigations in 1998 and then the Robbery Unit in the Bronx in 1999.I want to add that Tom was recently inducted into the National Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame and presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Quite an honor – a deserved one. Congratulations, Tom.Websitewww.thegoldshieldshow.comInstagram:@thegoldshieldsshowFacebookLinkedInYouTubeTom also is involved with:Impact SolutionsWheelchairs For WarriorsThanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube:

Ep. 66 - Rescuing an American journalist kidnapped in Afghanistan, thwarting a school shooter, responding to Ground Zero on 9/11 - NYPD Det. Tom Smith (Ret.) did all of it in his 30 years with NYPD. Following in his NYPD Detective father’s footsteps, Tom joined NYPD in 1990 and started in patrol in Harlem. Within a few years he joined the anti-crime team and later Narcotics where he became a detective. He then moved into Gang Investigations in 1998 and then the Robbery unit in the Bronx in 1999.It was during his time there that 9/11 happened. We will talk about how the day, weeks and months unfolded for him. After 9/11, Tom was assigned to the elite FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) for the remaining 17 years of his career. He held a Top Secret/SCI clearance, conducted briefings for representatives of the highest levels of government and traveled to 18 countries to handle complex terrorism investigations. In 2009, Tom was deployed to the war zone in Afghanistan to coordinate the rescue of a New York Times journalist who had been kidnapped by an Al-Qaeda affiliated group. Tom and the JTTF team were able to create and execute a plan to bring this American hostage home. We also cover the recent shooting death in December 2024 of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan. In his time as detective with NYPD, Tom investigated homicides. I wanted to get his take on how this played out from an investigation point of view.Tom is co-host of the podcast Gold Shields with his buddy retired NYPD Sgt. Dan Murphy. They draw on their considerable law enforcement experience and knowledge to bring listeners the inside story on large scale often well-known investigations and missions by detectives and military operators, as well as criminal behavior, personal stories of survival and more. They reached their 100th episode in 2024 and are launching Season Three in January 2025. Here's where you can find them:Website www.thegoldshieldshow.comInstagram: @thegoldshieldsshowFacebookLinkedInYouTubeTom also is involved with:Impact SolutionsWheelchairs For WarriorsThanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 65 To mark the four-year anniversary of the podcast, I’m revisiting earlier episodes with content and issues that remain relevant today. This episode is about the impact of a deadly force encounter on the officer, something that is rarely discussed. I review the powerful documentary “Officer Involved” with the filmmaker Patrick Shaver, a former police officer. Over several years Patrick interviewed law enforcement from around the country about their incident and emotional toll it took on them. He also interviewed mental health experts who have researched and written about the subject. We are all sensitive to the tragedy surrounding deadly use of force on those lost and their loved ones. This film and Patrick’s interview are important elements to understanding the whole story. As Patrick says in the interview, there are two sides to the gun and both people are forever changed. My goal is to help us all better understand what the job really is and show the complexity of what it means to be a police officer.Also in this interview, Patrick and I talk about his film DINKHELLER. It’s about Deputy Kyle Dinkheller who was tragically killed in GA in 1998 during a traffic stop gone horribly wrong. Many of you know of his incident.Patrick Shaver has done multiple documentaries showing the human side of law enforcement. You can find out more about him and his work at his website. Patrick funds his work through the proceeds of DVD and streaming sales of his films: http://www.officerinvolvedproject.com/filmsThanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 64 Imagine policing without a gun or not being approved to drive lights and sirens until three years on the job. I’m talking policing in the UK with Constable Ross who is a response officer with the Hertfordshire Police Department which is about an hour outside of London. Ross has three years on and serves in a patrol capacity.  We are using only his first name for his privacy. He tells me: “The vast majority of officers are unarmed. In fact, the basic package when you're out of training school is a baton, incapacitate spray, handcuffs, leg restraints and a stab vest. And then your wits. That's what you've got.”  To drive lights and sirens requires extra training that officers have to be put forward for and pass. “You can drive a marked vehicle on your own after your 15 weeks with a training officer, but you can't drive above the speed limit. It does feel ridiculous when someone's needing help, and you have to stop at a red light.”The other unique aspects to policing on the UK is the challenge of investigating a criminal practice called “county lines,” a method of moving drugs throughout the UK. It’s a way for individual high-level dealers to obfuscate themselves away from the street and therefore away from the evidence. They groom young people with no criminal record to transport the drugs on the trains using burner phones which is what he means by “lines.” Also of interest are two high-profile homicide incidents that were occurring in the UK at the time of this interview, one of which caused weeks of rioting. And one of which involved a cross bow as the murder weapon!We talk about the shared negative narrative on law enforcement, staffing issues, what 2020 was like in the UK, the tough calls and the rewards as well as Ross’ family history of serving in law enforcement. I appreciate Ross’ reaching out to me from across the pond and getting perspective on what it’s like for a new officer these days. Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org 

Ep. 63 National Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness Day 9/26 – revisiting my interview from Sept. 2021 with Inspector Steve Hough co-creator of Blue H.E.L.P.To mark the four-year anniversary of my podcast I’m taking a look back and reposting a few episodes from the early days with content and issues that remain relevant today. This is about the tragedy of officer suicide, not just the loss of life, but how that loss of life is regarded. We are all keenly aware of the devastating frequency with which we see reports of yet another officer who has taken his or her own life. For many of you, these losses are not news reports – they are personal and painful. As I said when I aired this interview in 2021, I want to draw attention to this issue and the support that does exist to prevent suicide and do what small part I can to honor those we have lost.  So, for National Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness Day on Sept. 26, I’m reposting this interview with Inspector Steve Hough who along with Karen Solomon and Dr. Jeffrey McGill founded Blue H.E.L.P., a non-profit organization committed to honoring the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers who have been lost to suicide and to supporting their families and loved ones. It is the only organization in the country that collects LE suicide data. Blue H.E.L.P. also works to de-stigmatize mental health and job stress issues and connects officers to wellness and treatment programs. Blue H.E.L.P. is the organization that in 2020 designated Sept. 26 as National Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness Day.  At Blue H.E.L.P.’s website https://bluehelp.org/ you can find important information on services; stories of family members who have lost their LEO to suicide; the Honor Wall recognizing the service of those officers; and information on what you can do for National Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness Day.Blue Help is part of First Help which extends the same honor and services to all first responders and military veterans lost to suicide. This month, First Help unveiled Heroes Memorial Park in Rockwall, Texas which features the monument they are creating on which the names of all first responders and military veterans lost to suicide will be etched. Here is a link with more information:https://1sthelp.org/memorial-park/And one programming note, this originally aired as I said in 2021 when we were in the midst of the pandemic; Covid for that period was taking more lives than we were losing to suicide.  Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org 

Why I do this podcast – Four Year Anniversary! It was September 2020 – the height of the riots and civil unrest.  I had to find a way to stand up for all of you in law enforcement. The attacks – physical and emotional – and the toll they took were too much. I could not sit idly by. I could not be silent.  And so "On Being a Police Officer" began.By then, I had already been working with law enforcement in my area for ten years after the tragic loss of five officers to ambush murders in late 2009, all in less than a month's time. Through the work I started in honor of them, I developed an understanding of and deep respect for those of you who put on that badge and go out there every day risking your own lives to protect ours. By 2020, I had to spread my message of support to a wider audience. I am grateful that through this podcast, I have been able to interview law enforcement from around the country and to tell your stories, your message to a national (even international) audience. “On Being a Police Officer” started as and still is a podcast with a mission, and that is to give law enforcement a voice so we can see the person in the uniform, the person behind the badge. Every story is unique, and yet every story shows the commitment, service and sacrifice you make.By sharing these stories with a civilian perspective, my goal is to help law enforcement feel supported and appreciated, and to bring my fellow civilians along with me on this journey of understanding.You can help me spread this message by continuing to listen and by sharing it with others. If you’re on Apple podcasts, please leave me a five-star review: scroll down the list of episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. Tap the five stars and then scroll down again to where it says Write a Review. If you are on Spotify, hit Follow and then tap the gear icon to give me a five-star rating there. All of this helps push the podcast up in the algorithm and makes it discoverable to a wider audience. Thank you!! I also want to thank those of you who were with me from the start and who helped make this real. Sean, Linda, Nick, Britt to name a few. I also want to thank my husband and sister for always being my first listeners before each episode goes live. Your support means everything. Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org 

Ep. 62 Justified or not? The Airman and the Deputy – Fatal Officer Involved Shooting – Breakdown with Daniel Carr of Police Law News. Once again, I am turning to Daniel Carr of Police Law News to break down a controversial, tragic incident. This is the incident involving an Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputy and his response to a domestic disturbance that led to the use of deadly force that took the life of US Air Force Airman Roger Fortson on May 3, 2024. Mr. Fortson answered the door after the deputy announced himself. Mr. Fortson was holding his gun pointed down at the ground. The deputy perceived this as a deadly threat and used deadly force. The deputy was later fired and in August was arrested and charged with one count of manslaughter.As Daniel and I say, this one is tough. There is much to be sad about. There are many opinions. There is much criticism. The media’s coverage at times is inflammatory and inaccurate. We wanted to discuss it in as fair a manner as possible.You can find Daniel at Police Law News on all social media. Here is his IG handle: @Police.Law.NewsAnd here is a link to Daniel's Substack article in which he breaks down the incident and which includes links to the body cam:https://substack.com/@policelawnews/p-144492920Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.comwww.onbeingapoliceofficer.com©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Ep. 61  Lawful but awful? Unjustified? The Deputy Sean Grayson – Sonya Massey incident: a breakdown with Drew Breasy, host of The Comm Center and Daniel Carr of Police Law News. We are covering this together because this is a tough one and it requires thoughtful and thorough analysis. Both Drew and Daniel are returning guests. As many of you know, Drew retired as a lieutenant after serving 29 years with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Daniel recently retired from the Albuquerque Police Department where he served for 20 years. He also holds a law degree. You’ll see where Daniel, Drew and I land on this one. To recap: On July 6, 2024, two deputies with the Sangamon County, IL Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Sonya Massey’s home based on her 911 call of a possible prowler on her property. Deputy Sean Grayson and another responding deputy searched her property as well as nearby properties and found no prowler. They then contacted Sonya Massey to let her know their findings. It became clear to them that she was potentially experiencing mental health issues. They also had questions about a car with broken windows that was on her property. Both deputies entered the home. During their conversation, they asked her to turn off the pot of boiling water that was on her stove. As she moved toward the stove, she picked up the pot and said to Grayson, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Body cam shows her throw the pot at Grayson who sees this as a deadly threat or the threat of great bodily harm and uses deadly force.There are many elements to this case that have caused great debate. Did she actually throw the water? Was deadly force justified? Much of this is exacerbated by other factors: Grayson had not turned on his body cam until after the shooting. His manner in issuing commands to drop the pot and his post-shooting behavior are questionable including delaying the rendering of aid.As I say at the top of the episode, this one is tough. But before making my own decision as a civilian, I wanted to walk through it with Drew and Daniel, both of whom have covered this extensively. I encourage you to check out this episode of The Comm Center with Drew Breasy and Jonathan Bates during which they cover the 911 calls by Sonya Massey’s mother on July 5th and then the Grayson/Massey July 6th incident including body cam footage. Drew also has covered it on his own social media. And I encourage you to check out Daniel Carr’s coverage on his Police Law News content on social media and especially this Substack article.  You can find Drew and Daniel on all social media. Here are their IG handles:@whatsaydrew@policelawnewsCheck out my prior interviews with both Drew and Daniel!!Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:Instagram: on_being_a_police_officerFacebook: On Being a Police OfficerYouTube: Abby Ellsworth ChannelAbby@Ellsworthproductions.com