Advertise on podcast: Waco PD on the BEAT

Last year we celebrated Faith & Blue Weekend and with so much success it grew to a whole WEEK this year! Sit down with us and Pastor Chuck from Glory Bell Church to talk about all the fun and exciting events happening in Waco from October 1 - 9.  Faith & Blue was launched to facilitate safer, stronger, more just, and unified communities by directly enabling local partnerships among law enforcement professionals, residents, businesses, and community groups through the connections of local faith-based organizations.  

The Behavioral Health Network (BHN) and Waco PD have partnered to hire new Behavioral/Mental Health Clinicians in our Dispatch center to help with calls for service where an officer might not be necessary. This four-year grant is under BHN so both organizations can provide a better, quicker, and healthier response to those suffering from a behavioral or mental health crisis.  

The Housing and Community Development team is partnering with Unidos and the NET Unit at Waco PD! Find out what fun things are in store and how you as a current or new homeowner can receive funds for much-needed safety work around your home! 

A new series within the Waco PD on the BEAT podcast is "Never Quit, Never Forget" which is the motto within our Special Crimes Unit. This unit handles some of our most high-priority cases, homicides. Moving forward, we will highlight unsolved homicide cases. Sit down with us and detectives of the Special Crimes Unit as they dive into the cold cases and recently unsolved homicides of Waco. To start, this homicide case has not gone cold but is our one homicide of 2023, so far, that is not solved. Jamerson Hawthorn was killed on April 19, 2023. His mother was left wounded from the shooting, and she sits down to talk about what life has been like since Jamerson was killed, and Detective Thompson lays out why this case has been difficult to solve.   

The 3rd annual Back to School Bash is right around the corner! Come celebrate with us on July 29th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Richland Mall! 

The Police Athletics League (PAL Club) is a new non-profit organization led by community leaders within the City of Waco in partnership with the Waco Police Department. This program aims to connect law enforcement with next-generation leaders to positively impact lives and our community through developing effective avenues of sportsmanship, teamwork, and personal growth. We believe Waco law enforcement exists to uphold peace and that true peace is found in healthy, trust-based relationships which offer hope and purpose. The PAL Club is always accepting donations for upcoming programs, if you would like to donate please email the President, Chaplain Richard Thompson at [email protected]. For all other inquiries please email [email protected].

The K9 Unit has welcomed two new K9s to our unit. K9 Echo and K9 Cayden are the two newest members making every officer in our K9 Unit a working handler. Learn what it has been like training these new K9s as Sergeant Adam Fuller talks about the ins and outs of the K9 Unit!

Waco PD's Traffic Unit has seen an increase in drivers speeding and running red lights. These two bad habits can turn deadly quickly, Sergeant Chad Ashworth with the Traffic Unit talks about the rules of the road, what he's seeing while out educating the public, and how you can keep everyone safe while on the road! 

The Animal Control Unit has recently joined the Waco Police Department! Supervisor and Animal Control Officer Christina Thane talks about all the work they do and how they're helping the city and WPD each day to keep our community safe and our pets too! From snakes to raccoons, cats, and dogs the ACU takes care of them all! 

The Community Opportunity Event (COE) is back for its second year! Our youth represent the future; therefore, as a community, we need to do everything we can to guide them on the right path to success. The COE promotes a holistic approach that addresses the root causes of teen gun violence through community resources and healthy lifestyle choices which can help create safer and more positive environments for young people. Hear about all the excitement for this year's event on May 20th at the Dewy Community Center from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

April is Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children join us to talk about how their services help those victimized by crime and what you can do to be an advocate for victims of crime. If you or anyone you know is a victim of crime please call the Advocacy Center at (254) 752-9330 or their Crisis Hotline: (254) 752-7233 Toll-Free: (888) 867-7233.

The Crime Scene Unit is not your average CSI episode, they are dedicated working individuals, and contrary to a sworn officer they are a unit of professional staff members that help our officers collect evidence of a crime. Learn more about our Crime Scene Unit in this episode with Supervisor, Matthew Davis.