<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1008349/open_sms">Send us a text</a>We find ourselves once again at the end of a season. This caps off Season 6 of Blue Canary and it’s been very interesting. I had been thinking about retirement for a couple of years. Once the greatness of it started to settle and the things you missed started to creep back in past the walls you built telling yourself it was the greatest decision you ever made, reality raised it’s ugly head.Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy I am retired. But there are things I miss. I mean really miss.I miss the people. The officers I got to work with every day. The ones who came to me for guidance. The ones who came to me with problems. And even the ones that came to me when they had screwed up.I miss the work. Serving the community everyday was fulfilling. I knew what I was doing mattered, even when it didn’t seem like it at the time.I miss the challenges, having to be sharp, fit, strong, and quick. Pitting yourself against bad guys and trying to solve problems on the fly.I miss the adrenaline. Sure, that’s the thing you’re not supposed to talk about, but it’s there. They way your heart hammered in your chest when the Oh Shit button got pushed. The feeling you had at the end when you had won.I miss the identity. I miss being a cop. And everything that comes with that.When I settled on retirement for this season’s focus it was because I wanted to talk about that thing that had been weighing on me. The lack of support.I had chatted with fellow retired officers who said they didn’t feel supported. I chatted with my military friends who had vastly different experiences upon retiring. And I did my research, looking for programs, communities, and people to help.What I found just made it worse.On a positive note, I am doing the DJ thing every Friday form 8am - Noon on the Thin Line Rock Station. Check it out.https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1008349/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We find ourselves once again at the end of a season. This caps off Season 6 of Blue Canary and it’s been very interesting. I had been thinking about retirement for a couple of years. Once the greatness of it started to settle and the things you missed started to creep back in past the walls you built telling yourself it was the greatest decision you ever made, reality raised it’s ugly head.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy I am retired. But there are things I miss. I mean really miss.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I miss the people. The officers I got to work with every day. The ones who came to me for guidance. The ones who came to me with problems. And even the ones that came to me when they had screwed up.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I miss the work. Serving the community everyday was fulfilling. I knew what I was doing mattered, even when it didn’t seem like it at the time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I miss the challenges, having to be sharp, fit, strong, and quick. Pitting yourself against bad guys and trying to solve problems on the fly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I miss the adrenaline. Sure, that’s the thing you’re not supposed to talk about, but it’s there. They way your heart hammered in your chest when the Oh Shit button got pushed. The feeling you had at the end when you had won.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I miss the identity. I miss being a cop. And everything that comes with that.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When I settled on retirement for this season’s focus it was because I wanted to talk about that thing that had been weighing on me. The lack of support.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I had chatted with fellow retired officers who said they didn’t feel supported. I chatted with my military friends who had vastly different experiences upon retiring. And I did my research, looking for programs, communities, and people to help.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What I found just made it worse.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On a positive note, I am doing the DJ thing every Friday form 8am - Noon on the Thin Line Rock Station. Check it out.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text We find ourselves once again at the end of a season. This caps off Season 6 of Blue Canary and it’s been very interesting. I had been thinking about retirement for a couple of years. Once the greatness of it started to settle and the things you missed started to creep back in past the walls you built telling yourself it was the greatest decision you ever made, reality raised it’s ugly head. Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy I am retired. But there are things I miss. I mean re...

The Wooden Policeman

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1008349/open_sms">Send us a text</a>“The Hollow Call” a Halloween Special.Let’s just add a little more spook to an already spooky tail. I received this email from a user who went by Mallory98. The email didn’t have anything in it but this attached story. I tried several times to reach out and get more information, but every time I sent an email it bounced back as an invalid address.Every time.Through every email providerSo, I just decided to share it in its entirety.We will call this one,&quot;The Hollow Call&quot;

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1008349/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;“The Hollow Call” a Halloween Special.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Let’s just add a little more spook to an already spooky tail. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I received this email from a user who went by Mallory98. The email didn’t have anything in it but this attached story. I tried several times to reach out and get more information, but every time I sent an email it bounced back as an invalid address.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Every time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Through every email provider&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So, I just decided to share it in its entirety.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We will call this one,&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&amp;quot;The Hollow Call&amp;quot;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text “The Hollow Call” a Halloween Special. Let’s just add a little more spook to an already spooky tail.  I received this email from a user who went by Mallory98. The email didn’t have anything in it but this attached story. I tried several times to reach out and get more information, but every time I sent an email it bounced back as an invalid address. Every time. Through every email provider So, I just decided to share it in its entirety. We will call this one, "The Hollow C...

The Hollow Call

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1008349/open_sms">Send us a text</a>Jessica Flores served as a police officer and detective in the Kansas City Missouri area, but was forced to retire early due to medical issues. That left her struggling to find purpose and meaning in the post law enforcement world. That all stopped one day when she realized she could help other officers find their purpose after law enforcement.That’s how Next Shift was founded.Today Jess runs Next Shift to help coach officers leaving the profession to help them find purpose and community after law enforcement.Jess was gracious enough to sit down and chat with me for a few minutes about her own experiences and Next Shift.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1008349/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jessica Flores served as a police officer and detective in the Kansas City Missouri area, but was forced to retire early due to medical issues. That left her struggling to find purpose and meaning in the post law enforcement world. That all stopped one day when she realized she could help other officers find their purpose after law enforcement.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That’s how Next Shift was founded.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Today Jess runs Next Shift to help coach officers leaving the profession to help them find purpose and community after law enforcement.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jess was gracious enough to sit down and chat with me for a few minutes about her own experiences and Next Shift.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text Jessica Flores served as a police officer and detective in the Kansas City Missouri area, but was forced to retire early due to medical issues. That left her struggling to find purpose and meaning in the post law enforcement world. That all stopped one day when she realized she could help other officers find their purpose after law enforcement. That’s how Next Shift was founded. Today Jess runs Next Shift to help coach officers leaving the profession to help them find purpose a...

Next Shift with Jessica Flores

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1008349/open_sms">Send us a text</a>When an officer retires, whether it’s after 20, 25, or 30 years, there’s often a handshake, a plaque, maybe a party. Then the uniform goes in the closet, and that’s it. After decades of service—after countless nights on patrol, after seeing humanity at its worst and sometimes at its best—suddenly, you’re just… done.There’s no transition program. No debrief. No structured counseling. No real roadmap for what comes next.Contrast that with the military: service members who retire or separate are connected with the VA, with veteran service organizations, with peer support programs. They’re eligible for medical and mental health services for the long term. Whether or not the system is perfect, there is a system. For cops? Not so much.When it comes to support for retired officers, it’s really a mixed bag.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1008349/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When an officer retires, whether it’s after 20, 25, or 30 years, there’s often a handshake, a plaque, maybe a party. Then the uniform goes in the closet, and that’s it. After decades of service—after countless nights on patrol, after seeing humanity at its worst and sometimes at its best—suddenly, you’re just… done.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There’s no transition program. No debrief. No structured counseling. No real roadmap for what comes next.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Contrast that with the military: service members who retire or separate are connected with the VA, with veteran service organizations, with peer support programs. They’re eligible for medical and mental health services for the long term. Whether or not the system is perfect, there &lt;em&gt;is&lt;/em&gt; a system. For cops? Not so much.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When it comes to support for retired officers, it’s really a mixed bag.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text When an officer retires, whether it’s after 20, 25, or 30 years, there’s often a handshake, a plaque, maybe a party. Then the uniform goes in the closet, and that’s it. After decades of service—after countless nights on patrol, after seeing humanity at its worst and sometimes at its best—suddenly, you’re just… done. There’s no transition program. No debrief. No structured counseling. No real roadmap for what comes next. Contrast that with the military: service members who retir...

Where Is All The Support?

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1008349/open_sms">Send us a text</a>Every day’s a Saturday.That’s one of those great retirement sayings.What it means is you get to do what you want, when you want.After thirty years of being told where to be, when to be, and how to be, it’s very liberating.My wife was at work and I had finished all of the little chores I wanted to get done around the house. I sat down and fired up the streaming services. I was looking for a little movie I could put on and probably take a nap. My search stopped on “The Fastest Woman on Earth”That put a twist in my afternoon plans.“The Fastest Woman on Earth” is a 2022 documentary about Jesse Combs, her quest to break the woman’s land speed record, and her ultimate death.I was familiar with Jesse Combs, I had watched her in a number of television shows over the years, specifically “Overhaulin” and “Mythbusters”. I also enjoy documentaries so clicking play was a no brainer.I started crying about 5 minutes into the film and couldn’t stop crying the rest of the afternoon.As cops we get very good at compartmentalizing trauma. When we deal with all of those horrible thing’s day in and day out, we put them behind a door, lock it tight, and throw away the key.Something in that movie opened one of those doors for me and let it all out.It was a rough afternoonBut it would have been rougher if I didn’t understand what was going on with me.[Insert Intro]Mental Health for Law Enforcement is an issue that we still fight today. Even though we should know better, we still stigmatize getting help. We still want to portray ourselves and our profession as stoic, strong, and above those emotions.We are not.I wanted to talk to an officer who had experience dealing with mental health issues, someone who understood the problem and was willing to deal with it head on.That’s when I connected with Zachary Saenz.Zachary has over 8 years in law enforcement and has served as a patrol officer, field training officer, and now is a patrol sergeant.  He is an advocate for mental health in law enforcement and his story is an important one to hear.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1008349/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Every day’s a Saturday.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That’s one of those great retirement sayings.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What it means is you get to do what you want, when you want.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After thirty years of being told where to be, when to be, and how to be, it’s very liberating.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;My wife was at work and I had finished all of the little chores I wanted to get done around the house. I sat down and fired up the streaming services. I was looking for a little movie I could put on and probably take a nap. My search stopped on “The Fastest Woman on Earth”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That put a twist in my afternoon plans.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“The Fastest Woman on Earth” is a 2022 documentary about Jesse Combs, her quest to break the woman’s land speed record, and her ultimate death.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I was familiar with Jesse Combs, I had watched her in a number of television shows over the years, specifically “Overhaulin” and “Mythbusters”. I also enjoy documentaries so clicking play was a no brainer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I started crying about 5 minutes into the film and couldn’t stop crying the rest of the afternoon.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As cops we get very good at compartmentalizing trauma. When we deal with all of those horrible thing’s day in and day out, we put them behind a door, lock it tight, and throw away the key.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Something in that movie opened one of those doors for me and let it all out.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It was a rough afternoon&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But it would have been rougher if I didn’t understand what was going on with me.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[Insert Intro]&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mental Health for Law Enforcement is an issue that we still fight today. Even though we should know better, we still stigmatize getting help. We still want to portray ourselves and our profession as stoic, strong, and above those emotions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We are not.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I wanted to talk to an officer who had experience dealing with mental health issues, someone who understood the problem and was willing to deal with it head on.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That’s when I connected with Zachary Saenz.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Zachary has over 8 years in law enforcement and has served as a patrol officer, field training officer, and now is a patrol sergeant.  He is an advocate for mental health in law enforcement and his story is an important one to hear.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text Every day’s a Saturday. That’s one of those great retirement sayings. What it means is you get to do what you want, when you want. After thirty years of being told where to be, when to be, and how to be, it’s very liberating. My wife was at work and I had finished all of the little chores I wanted to get done around the house. I sat down and fired up the streaming services. I was looking for a little movie I could put on and probably take a nap. My search stopped on “The Fastes...

Mental Health with Zachary Saenz

Who approaches the scene first risking their lives for the safety of others? We do. The blue canaries, law enforcement. We allow others to tell our stories. It's time for us to tell our own stories. Blue Canary is a show for cops by a cop, retired Captain Steven Kellams. In each episode, Steve goes behind the scenes of a police department. Giving you real-world insight into why decisions are made, what obstacles are ahead, and how the answers to your questions aren’t always found in the news. It’s unfiltered, it’s relevant and it’s for anyone brave enough to wear a badge.

Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop

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