What if “within policy” still feels wrong to the people you serve? We sit down with retired LAPD lieutenant Jeff Weninger to unpack the uncomfortable gap between legal justification and moral legitimacy—and how that space erodes community trust. Jeff brings a rare mix of multiracial upbringing, street experience, and command-level reform to show why mindset shapes outcomes more than any statute or slogan.

We trace the path from Graham v. Connor’s narrow focus on the moment of force to a broader totality-of-circumstances view, and why that legal shift still isn’t enough without cultural change. Jeff pulls the curtain back on dehumanization, the “us versus them” mentality, and the startling share of shootings involving people in mental health crisis. He argues for tactics that buy time, gather family insights, and deploy mental health expertise, instead of relying on volume, posture, and hardware to force compliance. The proof point: departments that slow down see fewer injuries and better resolutions.

Jeff lays out a candid reform blueprint: civilianize key command roles like media strategy, academy design, and consent decree oversight; align policy with behavior through early post-incident debriefs; and train assessment into firearms qualifications to blunt contagious fire. We challenge the militarized look that broadcasts domination and explore what the UK gets right about patience and layered responses, even when guns aren’t part of the equation. For young people torn between activism and service, Jeff makes a hard-won case for changing the system from the inside, backed by a career of actionable solutions.

If you care about public safety, police accountability, mental health response, and building trust that lasts beyond a headline, this conversation offers a clear, practical path forward. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s wrestling with these questions, and leave a review with the one mindset shift you want to see next.

🔗 Connect with Jeff Wenninger

🌐 Website:  https://lawenforcementconsultants.com/

Book: http://onthinicebook.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-wenninger-4247a854

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