Policing Matters

Every leader remembers the day they went from being one of the team to being in charge of it. On this episode of Policing Matters, host Jim Dudley talks with Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux about leadership at every rank. A former Houston officer and DEA supervisor, Comeaux explains how mentors and early mistakes shaped his approach: motivate, inspire and empower. Comeaux explains how he gives people real decision-making power within clear guardrails, how he wins over cynical troops and why transparency matters when a critical incident is still unfolding. He also draws on his years as a college baseball player, a career that has him slated to be inducted into the Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Fame this fall. Those lessons from sports, and from leading in law enforcement, business and life, are the heart of his book, “The Active Sport of Leadership: Discipline, Culture, and the Responsibility to Lead,” available at dccbooks.com. About our sponsor American Military University supports law enforcement professionals with flexible online programs designed around the demands of the job. Whether you’re looking to grow your own career or support the development of your officers, the Everyday Heroes Grant provides eligible first responders and their families with a 20% tuition grant. Students may also be eligible to transfer up to 45 credits for academy training, prior education, and professional experience, helping them start ahead and finish sooner. Learn more at PublicSafetyAtAMU.com.

Police agencies of every size are still struggling to fill their ranks, even with hiring bonuses, new recruiting campaigns, and a stronger social media presence. The question underneath all of it is whether agencies are trying to recruit a new generation into an old model of leadership. What do millennials and Gen Z actually want from a career in law enforcement, and what makes a young officer decide an agency is a place to build a career rather than a stop on the way to somewhere else? In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley talks with Dr. Nicole Cain, assistant professor in the School of Security and Global Studies at American Military University and a veteran with more than 25 years in law enforcement. Cain’s research focuses on recruitment and retention, and she argues that policing doesn't have a purpose problem, it has a messaging problem. She and Dudley discuss why retention has to come before recruitment, how a cultural assessment can show leaders where they stand, and which leadership behaviors make young officers want to stay. They also cover practical ideas, from storytelling and community partnerships to high school academies and paid internships, that can bring in people who are a good fit for the job. About our sponsor American Military University supports law enforcement professionals with flexible online programs designed around the demands of the job. Whether you’re looking to grow your own career or support the development of your officers, the Everyday Heroes Grant provides eligible first responders and their families with a 20% tuition grant. Students may also be eligible to transfer up to 45 credits for academy training, prior education, and professional experience, helping them start ahead and finish sooner. Learn more at PublicSafetyAtAMU.com.

After decades covering the country's most closely watched trials, from Scott Peterson and Casey Anthony to Alex Murdaugh and Johnny Depp, Vinnie Politan has a front-row view of how the public, the press and juries see law enforcement. He joins host Jim Dudley on Policing Matters to talk about his new YouTube-first video podcast, “Vinnie Politan Investigates,” and what he has learned about why some cases capture the public's attention while most never do. Along the way, he explains how skepticism toward institutions has changed what happens in the jury box. 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.

As law enforcement agencies weigh the benefits and concerns associated with automated license plate readers, they need more than individual success stories to guide their decisions. Agencies need evidence about what fixed camera networks can — and cannot — reasonably be expected to accomplish, as well as clear policies for privacy, data retention, auditing and responsible use. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Scott Mourtgos, Ph.D., a former police executive and assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina. Mourtgos discusses his working paper, “Automated License Plate Readers, Vehicle Theft and Clearance,” co-authored with Ian Adams, Ph.D. Drawing on agency data from 2017 through 2023, the researchers examined whether fixed ALPR networks were associated with changes in vehicle theft, arrest clearances and recovery time. 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, supervisor and commander eventually faces the same challenge crisis negotiators train for every day: staying composed, building trust and making a good decision when the information is incomplete, emotions are high and someone is demanding an answer right now. The techniques hostage negotiators use on the worst calls of someone's life turn out to work just as well on patrol, in the squad room and in the chief's office. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Don Fieselman, a 25-plus-year law enforcement veteran and former leader and instructor with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department Crisis Negotiation Team, now a negotiation coach with the Black Swan Group. Fieselman explains how the same skills used to talk someone down from a barricaded standoff can defuse conflict between a sergeant and their officers, deliver bad news without losing trust, and get quiet team members to speak up before a problem becomes a crisis. 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.