Cops and Writers Podcast

Welcome back everyone to the conclusion of my interview with former Sheriff Deputy, now Attorney, Bridget Truxillo. 

Life isn’t fair. We have all heard this and it is so true. But sometimes you come across a story that really pulls at your heart and you learn a new level of empathy for someone who was in a certain situation. Bridget’s story did that for me. This is a story of a person being treated unfairly and her resilience and eventually overcoming in her own way. This is the story of Bridget Truxillo.
 
 Bridget Truxillo was a Deputy Sheriff in Florida where she excelled in her job earning spots on the elite narcotics unit where she was primarily utilized in undercover operations and later joined the SWAT team as the only female to have worked in SWAT for her agency.

Unfortunately, Bridget was the victim of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation forcing her to eventually resign from law enforcement. She then went to law school where she earned her Juris Doctorate. Bridget is now an attorney that has her own law firm that specializes in helping law enforcement officers and first responders fight back when facing the same issues. 

If you believe you are the victim of workplace harassment, discrimination, or retaliation, please talk to someone and get some help! Thank you for joining me for the conclusion of my interview with someone who suffered and eventually overcame in her own way, Bridget Truxillo. 

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      The harassment, discrimination, and retaliation she faced during her time in law enforcement.

·      How the continuing harassment, discrimination, and retaliation affected her personally and professionally.

·      Bridget’s eventual resignation from law enforcement. 

·      Life after law enforcement for Bridget.

·      When and why, she decided to become an attorney. 

·      How she delt with going to law school later in life.

·      How she helps cops who are being discriminated against or otherwise being treated unfairly as an attorney.

·      Bridget’s professional advice to someone out there who is listening to the show and is contemplating taking legal action against their department because they think they are being treated unfairly, discriminated against, or harassed.

Thanks for joining me for this bonus episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast. I wanted to talk about something that has been bothering me for some time. I feel that we have lost our way in policing in America today and the victims of crime are paying the price. When was the last time you heard someone in pop culture talking about “Victim Rights?” You certainly hear them talking about police corruption or defunding the police. But never about the thousands of innocent people who are the victims of crime every day in this country. 

The cops have been handcuffed and are not allowed to do their jobs, and the people who are living in the most vulnerable areas of the country are paying that price. 

I want to make it very clear that I support the men and women in blue who literally risk their lives every day protecting us, the Constitution, and our way of life. We must do more than wearing a t-shirt or quietly telling a cop, “Thanks for your service.” We must elect individuals who actually want to do something about the crime in this country, not give vague ideologies or theories that don’t work or rehash crime-fighting strategies that never worked. We must support those who support the cops, even when it is not popular, but it’s the right thing to do.

On the show today I’m joined by a friend of the show, retired NYPD Detective, Vic Ferrari, and retired NYPD Captain Peter Moreno. 

Detective Ferrari and Captain Moreno have over forty-eight years of police experience in street patrol, investigations, and police upper management of the New York Police Department. They have seen crime fighting/reduction strategies come and go and have seen what works and doesn’t work. 

We are going to discuss the pros and cons of Broken Windows, Data-Driven Policing sometimes called, Hot Spot Policing, and Community Oriented Policing. 

This show is not a bitch session, and we try our best not to be too political in this show, I wanted to enlighten you as to what actually works when it comes to fighting crime. 

Thanks for joining us and I welcome your input regarding this special bonus episode. If you have a better solution, we are all ears! 

Life isn’t fair. We have all heard this and it is so true. But sometimes you come across a story that really pulls at your heart and you learn a new level of empathy for someone who was in a certain situation. This episode did that for me. This is a story of a person being treated unfairly and her resilience and eventually overcoming in her own way. This is the story of Bridget Truxillo.
 
 Bridget Truxillo was a Deputy Sheriff in Florida where she excelled in her job earning spots on the elite narcotics unit where she was primarily utilized in undercover operations and later joined the SWAT team as the only female to have worked in SWAT for her agency.

Unfortunately, Bridget was the victim of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, forcing her to eventually resign from law enforcement. She then went to law school where she earned her Juris Doctorate. Bridget is now an attorney that has her own law firm that specializes in helping law enforcement officers and first responders fight back when facing the same issues. 

I believe this interview will surprise you in ways you never thought possible. Please enjoy this sometimes shocking and emotional interview with Bridget Truxillo. 

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      Why and where Bridget got interested in law enforcement?

·      What was the academy like? How many females were in her class? 

·      1st day on the job and field training.

·      Being assigned to narcotics and working undercover after only a year on the job. 

·      The dangerous aspects of working as an undercover narcotics deputy.

·      You went to the SWAT team. How much time did you have on? I’m guessing it was a part-time unit. Can you explain how that works?

·      Getting on the SWAT team and the special physical requirements to earn a position on SWAT.

·      Being the first female on the unit. How did that feel and what were some of the problems and challenges that came with that?

·      Politics and SWAT, the ugly truth.

For today’s show, we are traveling to the West Coast and the home of Fisherman’s Warf, The Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and of course, Alcatraz. On today’s episode, we will be chatting with the City of San Francisco Police Sergeant and Bestselling Author, Adam Plantinga. 

Adam Plantinga’s first book, 400 Things Cops Know, was nominated for an Agatha Award and won the 2015 Silver Falchion award for best nonfiction crime reference. It was hailed as “truly excellent” by author Lee Child and deemed “the new Bible for crime writers” by The Wall Street Journal. Adam’s debut novel, Ascent, is burning up the charts and has been optioned for the silver screen by Universal Studios.

Plantinga began his career in law enforcement in 2001 as a Milwaukee police officer. He is currently a sergeant with the San Francisco Police Department assigned to street patrol.   

This interview was near and dear to my heart because Adam started his LE career as a Milwaukee copper, just like me. We never worked together, but we sure have known the same characters and chewed the same dirt.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      Why and where Adam got interested in law enforcement?

·      A special thank you to the “Cop Doc” Dr. Ellen Kirschman for introducing us.

·      From the land of Dirty Harry and The Streets of San Francisco. Are there any memorabilia from the shows in the San Francisco PD?

·      How long before Adam made the switch to SFPD from the Milwaukee PD?

·      Why did he switch departments? 

·      Biggest differences between MPD and SFPD, including rank.

·      Is there still the iconic rank of Inspector in the SFPD today?

·      His hot new novel, Ascent.

·      The use of popular thriller tropes in this novel.

·      How Ascent got picked up by Universal Television for a future television series.

Welcome back to the conclusion of my interview with a former member of the Gambino Crime Family, now International Bestselling Author, Television Producer and Director Louis Ferrante.

Mr. Ferrante grew up in New York City and became entangled in the Gambino crime family. He was eventually arrested and served almost ten years in prison. While he was incarcerated, he taught himself to write, and he fell in love with books. He promised himself that he would someday become an international bestselling author, and he did!

Lou also created, wrote, produced, and hosted Inside The Gangster Code series for Discovery Channel about maximum security prisons and gang culture around the world.  

As a special treat to everyone, I’m bringing back my friend and colleague, Podcaster, Author, and Retired NYPD Detective Vic Ferrari. Vic spent most of his life in New York City and was assigned to the NYPD’s organized crime unit which specialized in stolen cars, the same area of criminal expertise that was Lou’s, just on the other side of the law.

Please enjoy this powerful and inspirational conversation with Lou Ferrante and Vic Ferrari.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      Life in a maximum-security prison.

·      Lightbulb moment for you when you were in prison that it was time for a change. 

·      Did you have to do something to declare that you were no longer a member of the mafia? I thought it was a lifetime commitment.

·      Did you find God, or turn away from him when you were at your lowest in prison? “No atheists in foxholes.”

·      First thing Lou you did when he was released from prison.

·      Lou’s newest book, Borgata: Rise of Empire: A History of the American Mafia (Borgata Trilogy).

·      Why write this book?

·      Mob formed in Sicily. Sicily was an island in itself. Didn’t like rules or outsiders. 

·      How big of an influence is the mafia in Sicily today?

·      The mob and turning adversity into fortune?

·      Prohibition (Kennedy’s and other family’s made millions), the stock market crash of 2029, and World War 2, the U.S. military asking the mob for help.