Advertise on podcast: Reasons We Serve: Police Careers & Officer Experience

How much can someone find out about you online? More than you think. Former CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency analyst Kirby Plessas explains open source intelligence (OSINT), the methods intelligence agencies, federal agents, and investigators use to track people, money, and secrets using only public information.   Kirby started as an Army Arabic linguist and SIGINT analyst. She was sent to the NSA right after 9/11, then hunted for Iran's nuclear program online at DIA, and later helped run a CIA open-source innovation center. Today she trains law enforcement and investigators around the world through Plessas Experts Network. In this episode: What OSINT is and how investigators use itThe difference between the CIA, DIA and NSAIs your phone listening to you?How AI is changing investigations, and how to spot fake news and deepfakesThe AI tools a former CIA analyst uses (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok)The most secure web browser for privacyHer take on Edward Snowden, Julian Assange and Chelsea ManningHow to become an OSINT investigatorTracking cryptocurrency 🔎 Plessas Experts Network: https://plessas.net 🎓 OSINT Academy: https://academy.plessas.net   Reasons We Serve is a long-form interview podcast with the people who run toward danger: police officers, detectives, federal agents, corrections officers, dispatchers, prosecutors, forensic nurses, firefighters, and military veterans. Guests come from small-town departments, big-city precincts, state and federal agencies, and police forces worldwide.   Every conversation comes back to three questions: Why did you choose this life? What did it cost you and your family? After everything you've seen, how do you see people now?  No politics, no scripts. Just first-person stories from people who served.   ▶️ Subscribe for new interviews every Sunday: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reasons-we-serve--17128705 🎙️ Know someone with a story to tell? [email protected]   💬 What do you think the CIA’s job really is?

They thought they were recruiting a vulnerable woman. They were talking to Detective Heidi Chance. The retired Phoenix detective takes us inside her undercover work investigating sex trafficking—and shares what those encounters taught her about manipulation, control, and the warning signs families can miss. Heidi discusses online grooming, sextortion targeting boys, and why a parent’s reaction can determine whether their child asks for help again. She also reveals the encounter with a former student that changed her career. Subscribe to Reasons We Serve for candid conversations with the people behind the badge.  Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement. If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5-star review, subscribe, and share with others.  To watch more interviews with retired and active-duty cops and law enforcement, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonsweserve

Navy Commander who lost his best friend at 17 spent 20 years in the fleet, then walked into the DEA at age 42 as a diversion investigator. Brian Rucker helped take down the first internet pharmacy case under the Ryan Haight Act, shut down early OxyContin pill mills in Philadelphia, and watched the opioid crisis migrate from Florida into Georgia. In this raw interview, he breaks down what diversion investigators actually do, the black-sheep relationship with special agents, leadership lessons from the Navy, and how one personal tragedy shaped an entire career fighting pharmaceutical diversion. If this story hits home, hit like, subscribe, and drop a comment with the name of someone you lost to drugs or someone who still serves. Share it with a young person considering federal law enforcement or the military. More veteran and law-enforcement stories in the “Reasons We Serve” playlist. Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into officers' personal stories, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5-star review, subscribe, and share to stay updated on more inspiring law enforcement stories.

He went from a full-ride offensive tackle at Oregon State to the Korean DMZ… then became a U.S. Secret Service special agent who protected presidents and hunted criminals. Jim Davidson never planned on law enforcement. One phone call from a concert promoter led him to the sheriff’s office, then IRS Inspection, and finally the Secret Service after a clerk wrongly told him he needed an accounting degree. In this episode of Reasons We Serve, Jim shares the unlikely path that took him from the professional football field to the White House protective detail, the reality of balancing high-stakes investigations with presidential protection, and the family cost of a career that demanded everything. Later, he and his wife, Mary (also a Secret Service agent), sit down to talk about raising kids while both served, the guilt, the trade-offs, and the advice they’d give every law-enforcement couple. If this story of unexpected service, grit, and family sacrifice resonates, like, subscribe, and share it. Drop a comment: What part of Jim’s journey hit you hardest? Related: Watch Mary Davidson’s episode (Ep 178) for her side of the same extraordinary career. You can find Jim Davidson's book called "Supernote" here: https://www.amazon.com/Supernote-Jim-Davidson/dp/166576435X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7KOI993AQBPV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EOr6MVj_c4foMBpW3DHbUg.Tv2Z4LMOE7OXDtOewL_0kXoinXkrDbh7NF_3n1q1l6o&dib_tag=se&keywords=supernote+book+by+Jim+Davidson&qid=1788479912&s=office-products&sprefix=supernote+book+by+jim+davidson%2Coffice-products%2C228&sr=1-1 Reasons We Serve — real stories of service, sacrifice, and the people who answer the call. Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into officers' personal stories, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5-star review, like, share, and comment. Thank you.

She was one of the first women in the Secret Service — and a single $100 bill from a pizza place in Brea led her to a Colombian cartel operating underground in caves. Mary Davidson walked into Secret Service headquarters as a 22-year-old clerk the day before her birthday in 1980. She became an agent in 1981, one of the earliest women on the job, and spent two decades balancing criminal investigations and protective details while raising four kids. In this episode of Reasons We Serve, she shares the raw truth about arriving in LA right after the murder of Agent Julie Cross, qualifying with a revolver she’d never held, serving 13 arrest warrants while pregnant, and the counterfeit case that started with two preppy kids and ended with bricks of cocaine, a suitcase sewn with fake money, and the collapse of an entire network.  If this story of grit, quiet competence, and unexpected impact resonates, hit like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear what real service looks like. Drop a comment: What part of Mary’s journey hit you hardest? Related: Search “Reasons We Serve” for more veteran and agent interviews. If you liked this episode, please give us a 5-star review and don’t forget to subscribe and share.

A 31-year San Francisco law enforcement veteran who grew up with a pot-smoking, drug-dealing hippie mom reveals how childhood trauma drove him into policing, gave him rare empathy for the homeless and addicted… and ultimately fueled a secret opioid addiction that ended in a pharmacy robbery, jail, and near-suicide. Davin Cole went from K9 handler to citywide homeless outreach leader, earned medals of valor, and still lost everything to complex PTSD and pain-med addiction. This is the raw, unfiltered story of what the job really costs — and how he clawed his way back. Key Moments: 01:00 - The Hidden Pharmacy Robbery and 10-Year Addiction 06:20 - Why He Had More Empathy for Drug Users and Homeless People 08:04 - The Subconscious Drive Behind First Responders 13:05 - Why His Mom Was Proud He Became a Cop 17:00 - Building San Francisco’s Homeless Outreach Unit 21:00 - COVID, Defund the Police, and the Fentanyl Explosion 23:28 - The Real Causes of Homelessness, According to Davin Cole 30:49 - The Gang Member Shotgun Ambush 42:10 - The K9 Bite That Eventually Put Him on the Road to Addiction   If you’re a first responder, veteran, or anyone carrying invisible wounds — this conversation will hit hard. Like, subscribe, and share this with someone who needs to hear it. Drop a comment: what part of Davin’s story hit you most?   Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement.   If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5-star review, comment, and share.

He started as a 23-year-old All-American powerlifter and ended as a DHS OIG Special Agent in Charge who investigated Border Patrol shootings, Secret Service scandals, and the largest fentanyl seizure in U.S. history.   In this raw Reasons We Serve interview, retired federal agent Paul Leonard reveals what really happens inside the Office of Inspector General — the agency with first right of refusal on criminal misconduct by federal officers. From blank naturalization certificates worth $50k on the black market to a doctor who threatened to shoot the warden… and the day a dirty LAPD officer nearly killed him.   In this raw Reasons We Serve interview, Paul breaks down: • How powerlifting got him recruited into federal law enforcement • What OIG really does (and why it differs from OPR) • High-stakes cases involving INS corruption, Border Patrol shootings, and cartel-compromised agents • Surviving near-misses, leadership lessons, and why fitness still matters after 33 years   Stick around for the fitness advice that could save your career and your health.   Book: Built by History (Amazon) Instagram: Paul J. Leonard (PLUSA) Gym shoutout: ATP Powerlifting Gym, Chandler, AZ Paul's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/pauljleonardplusa Paul's YouTube page: @PLeonard71     Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement.   If you liked this episode, please subscribe, comment, and share.

What happens when a SWAT cop dies at home reading a book — and comes back after 16 minutes and 48 seconds?   Deputy Sheriff Brandon Griffith shares his incredible story of sudden cardiac arrest, a powerful near-death experience, fighting his department to return to the streets, and founding Griffith Blue Heart to train law enforcement in life-saving medical skills.   From the moment his heart stopped to the spiritual guidance he still feels, this is one of the most powerful stories of survival, faith, leadership, and purpose you will ever hear.   If you're a cop, veteran, first responder, or someone searching for meaning after hardship, this episode will hit hard. Brandon's journey proves tomorrow is never guaranteed — and how one second chance can change everything.   To support Brandon's organization, please go to: https://griffithblueheart.com   If you liked this interview, please give us a 5-star review, comment, and share.  | 💬 Comment: What would you do with a second chance?   Watch next: Randy Sutton | Matt Thomas episodes in the Reasons We Serve playlist.     Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement.

Police Chief Matthew Thomas shares his unfiltered 33-year journey—from a 20-year-old jail deputy who didn't expect to survive, to undercover cartel hunter, SWAT commander, undersheriff, and now Chief of Police in Florence, Arizona. He opens up about brutal fatalities, fighting cartels as well-armed as police, the hidden trauma that nearly broke him, and the leadership lessons that saved his life and career. This is the real side of the badge most people never see.  Matt drops powerful advice every young man and cop needs to hear about dealing with trauma, becoming a better leader, and staying in the fight.  If you respect the men and women who serve, watch until the end and share this with someone who needs it.   Anyone interested in Matt's book, Matt Thomas Interceptors: The Untold Fight Against the Mexican Cartels, can find it here. https://www.amazon.com/Interceptors-Untold-Against-Mexican-Cartels/dp/0578374277   Subscribe for more real stories from those who protect our communities. Like, comment your biggest takeaway, and turn on notifications.   Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement.   If you liked this episode, please give us a 5-star review, subscribe, comment, and share.

Sheriff Mark Lamb pulls no punches on the border crisis, fentanyl killing tens of thousands of Americans, human trafficking, and why local sheriffs are the last line of defense against government overreach. In this powerful interview, the retired Pinal County Sheriff breaks down how cartels became more powerful than ever, the real war on American families, leadership lessons from the front lines, and why he continues fighting for the Constitution.   Key Timestamps: • 00:00 - Intro & Mark Lamb's Background • 00:32 - Border & Fentanyl: Still the #1 Threat • 04:06 - Human Trafficking: More Lucrative Than Drugs • 08:44 - Shocking Story of Young Girl with Morning After Pills • 11:58 - Why Globalists Want to Destroy the Sheriff Office • 17:42 - Rule of Law & Holding Judges Accountable • 35:19 - Obama, Media, and the War on Police • 46:36 - Mark's Journey Into Law Enforcement at Age 34 • 56:00 - Leadership Lessons Every Man Needs • 1:23:00 - Why He's Still Fighting for Congress  If you care about America, border security, strong leadership, and real talk on the fentanyl crisis — watch until the end.   Drop a comment: What's the biggest threat facing America right now? Links to Mark's channels as well as his family's channels. www.youtube.com/@UClpN1KGwKTTbnCNBdqL5pfQ www.youtube.com/@UCuztGMlXcI0S5xUthSMs_JQ www.youtube.com/@UCszgNefuegP4vTCjqIjcMuA   Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement.   👍 If you liked this episode, please give us a 5-star review, like, and subscribe to stay updated on more inspiring law enforcement stories!

A 30-year law enforcement veteran shares the one piece of advice he gave a young academy classmate that stuck for an entire career: Don’t hang out with the people you work with. In this powerful episode of Reasons We Serve, Jim Molesa (former Mesa PD, longtime DEA agent, and Navajo County Chief Deputy) opens up about mental health in public safety, the child abuse cases that burned him out, massive drug seizures, working with the FBI after 9/11, life on Indian reservations, and why law enforcement is finally confronting PTSD head-on. From patrol to elite federal work, Jim breaks down real wisdom on staying grounded, building healthy relationships, and surviving a career that exposes you to trauma multiple times a week. Key Timestamps: 00:02:56 - The advice that changed everything 00:10:14 - Child abuse cases that led to burnout 00:25:03 - 980-kilo cocaine bust as a new DEA agent 00:36:33 - Working 9/11 and Oklahoma City 00:44:05 - Life as DEA Public Information Officer 00:56:50 - Reopening the Flagstaff office & reservation work 01:24:30 - PTSD in public safety: the crisis we must face  If you respect the men and women who serve, hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and turn on notifications. Drop a comment: What’s the best career advice you ever received in uniform? Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement. 👍 If you liked this episode, please give us a 5-star review, comment, and share.

Deputy Yates Rodney thought it was a routine traffic stop—until the suspects opened fire with an AK-47 and pistol, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. In this powerful episode of Reasons We Serve, Yates, his wife Tori, parents, and brother share the raw, emotional story of survival, love, and unbreakable family strength. Hear the terrifying moment Yates called his wife to say goodbye, the chaos at the hospital, the cardiac arrest scare, and his message of gratitude to the law enforcement brotherhood and supporters. If you're in law enforcement, a veteran, or someone who values stories of courage and service, this episode will move you. Watch until the end for the full story of resilience. 👍 If you liked this episode, please give us a 5 -star review. 🛎️ Subscribe for more real stories of those who serve  💬 Comment your thoughts or words of support for Deputy Rodney.  🎥 Related: Search "Reasons We Serve" for more law enforcement stories, officer survival, and family perspectives. 👍 Like, Subscribe, and Hit the Bell Icon to stay updated on more inspiring law enforcement stories! For those wishing to help Deputy Rodney and other officers hurt in the line of duty, please visit The Wounded Blue at www.thewoundedblue.org Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement.

What does it really take for a smaller female officer to thrive in law enforcement? In this powerful episode of Reasons We Serve, Patrol Sergeant Christina Gurrola shares her raw journey — from childhood dreams of wearing the badge, battling self-doubt about being a "quota hire," to becoming a respected leader, canine handler, and co-founder of Lady Cop Combatives. Christina opens up about why female officers need more jiu-jitsu and combatives training, the mental toughness required on the street, her transition from California to Idaho policing, leadership lessons, faith, and the realities of the job that most people never see. Whether you're in law enforcement, considering the career, or simply want to understand the human side of those who serve — this episode is a must-watch. If this episode moved you, drop a comment with your biggest takeaway, like, subscribe, and share with someone who needs to hear real law enforcement stories. Related: https://www.instagram.com/ladycopcombatives/ Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement. To watch more interviews with retired and active duty cops and law enforcement, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonsweserve If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5-star review, subscribe, and share.

In this powerful interview, retired Temporary Chief Superintendent Kul Mahay shares his remarkable journey through UK policing — from 16-year-old cadet to senior commander. Kul opens up about the brutal reality of the job: the 2024 Manchester Airport attack, leading riots and public order operations, homicide investigations, disaster victim identification after tragic motorway crashes, and the hidden mental toll on officers. He discusses the shift in police training, the importance of policing by consent, firearms policy in the UK, dark humor as a coping mechanism, and the critical importance of strong human-centered leadership. If you're in law enforcement, thinking about joining, or supporting those who serve, this episode is a must-watch for raw insight, leadership lessons, and powerful stories from the front lines of British policing. 🎥 Episode 169 Welcome to our channel, Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement. If you liked this interview, please give us a 5-star review, subscribe, and share. ,  To watch more interviews with retired and active duty cops and law enforcement, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonsweserve

He stared down the barrel of a gun, got shot point-blank in the forehead, and still made the split-second decision not to fire to protect his partners. This is the unfiltered story of Nick McCarthy, retired Daly City K9 handler. From running with the wrong crowd to becoming a top-performing proactive street cop and canine handler, Nick opens up about the realities of modern policing, intense officer-involved incidents, the mental toll that forced early retirement, and what proactive policing really looks like. In this powerful episode of Reasons We Serve: • 00:00 Intro & Sponsor • 01:57 Nick's journey from troubled youth to cop • 12:29 Self-sponsored academy & joining Daly City PD • 21:54 Patrol in a high-crime area • 45:48 Becoming a K9 handler with Tyke • 52:41 Most intense moments with his dog • 01:03:25 First critical incident & in-custody death • 01:12:57 The day he was shot in the head • 01:34:48 Mental health struggles & decision to retire • 01:46:09 The Code 33 Project – mentoring the next generation If you want the real, unfiltered truth about law enforcement — the good, the bad, the dangerous, and the human cost — this is it. Nick's story reveals why the job changes people and what it takes to serve. For those interested in the Code 33 Project, here is the contact information. Thecode33project.com @thecode33project If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a 5-star review, subscribe, and share with others.