Ep. 80 - Joining me is Jim Dudley, host of Police1’s acclaimed podcast Policing Matters. Jim was with the San Francisco Police Department for 32 years, rising to the rank of Deputy Chief. He takes us back to policing in San Francisco in the 1980s and walks through how the profession — and crime itself — evolved over the decades, from the crack epidemic to today’s open drug use and reforms impacting law enforcement like reducing felony charges to misdemeanors. He reflects on his time as an Investigator in the Bureau of Inspectors, working cases ranging from burglary and property crimes to domestic violence, assaults, and serious violent offenses.

Jim also speaks candidly about the critical incident in which he used deadly force to save his own life and his partner’s during a struggle with an armed suspect. We discuss the reality of being investigated after a fatal use-of-force incident, the emotional toll that follows, and how that experience shaped his leadership style when supporting officers navigating their own critical incidents.

Since retiring in 2013, Jim has continued serving the profession as the host of Policing Matters and as a criminal justice instructor at San Francisco State University, where he has taught for 14 years. We touch on a topic of particular interest to me and that is the impact criminal justice professors can have on framing the national narrative on policing.

Thank you, Jim.

I also want to thank the listeners who I mention in the episode: @Luv fitness pal and @Emandagat01left very kind words in their five-star reviews on Apple podcasts. It means a lot to me.

Here’s where you can find Jim and Policing Matters:

Policing Matters podcast

Policing Matters YouTube

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/policing_matterspodcast/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimdudley1946/

My interview with Jim Dudley on “Policing Matters”

Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.

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©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

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/

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Abby@Ellsworthproductions.com

www.onbeingapoliceofficer.com

©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Jim 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 Fire

https://www.aufire.com/

tim@aufire.com

Find Tim on LinkedIn

https://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_officer

Facebook: On Being a Police Officer

Abby@Ellsworthproductions.com

www.onbeingapoliceofficer.com

©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

My interview with Jim Dudley on Police1’s “Policing Matters”