Advertise on podcast: Police In-Service Training

Send us Fan Mail Some 50 years ago, the policing scholar John van Maanen wrote an article titled "the a*****e," concluding that the use of derogatory labels had an importance to the police occupation.  Using labels was important to police officers.  Essentially, the use of derogatory labels by police officers serves a purpose, and labeling people is part of a policing culture.  Some current research suggests there is greater depth when understanding policing’s use of labels.  Today we are joined by Abigail Henson, an assistant professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University.  Dr. Henson is going to tell us about her recent study titled, “Negotiating the “Bad Guy”: Defensive Simplification and Moral Ambiguity in Police Work.”” Main Topics Understanding the use of labels uncovers another complexity dimension of policing.A single label with multiple dimensions can help officers deal with morally ambiguous situations. Heuristic or “shortcut labels” are based on biased information that has existed in policing for generations.The police culture trains and ingrains the use of labels, making it that much harder to eliminate their use.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail Studies of policing and their wellbeing often focus on critical incidents.  These would be the officer-involved shooting incidents, or if they have to deal with some graphic crime scene.  But what might surprise some listeners is that an officer will also deal with organizational stressors that can be equally or even more harmful than a traumatic event.  Joining the podcast today is Dr. Susannah Hickie, who specializes in trauma, mental health, and organizational stress in high‑risk and security‑sensitive occupations, particularly within policing and defense.  She completed her PhD at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology, where she conducted extensive qualitative research on PTSD, trauma, mental health, and organizational stress among police officers in Northern Ireland.  Her recent study is “‘The enemies are now inside the station’: trauma, organizational stress and institutional support in frontline policing.” Main Topics Officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland avoid seeking mental health services because of barriers inherent to the organization.There is a sense of moral injury based on the agency’s leadership. Blue Lights is, unfortunately, accurate.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail How good are the crime analysis centers that are a growing part of policing?  I've heard a lot of stories about how analysts have made major contributions to solving crimes and tracked wanted criminals, but those are similar to the war stories police officers tell each other.  They are true, but rare.  So, how effective are crime analysis centers?  Dr. Bradley O’Guinn, Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida International University, joins the podcast to discuss his research titled, “Current trends in crime analysis in the state of Ohio: evaluating law enforcement agencies’ ability to adopt evidence-based policing strategies” (coauthored by Cory Haberman). Main Topics Crime analysis is intended to provide systematic inquiry of data for good decision making.In Ohio, 67% of police agencies had no crime analysis functions. Improvements in analysts abilities required funding for training and standardized qualifications.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail The leader of an organization has a difficult task.  Anyone coming up the chain in any police agency would appreciate the issues and problems of that agency.  While the leadership issues of a large PD would dwarf those of a smaller department, both would have features unique to their size and location.  Regardless of whether an agency is large, medium, or small, the difficulties of leadership can often get to a point that the leader pulls the plug.  If this happens frequently, I would suspect that this creates its own problems for the organization itself.  But I’ve been wrong before.  Today we're going to talk with Dr. Tarah Hodgkinson from the Department of Criminology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Brandford, Ontario about her recent article, Churn a the top: Understanding predictors of turnover in police leadership in Canada (coauthored by Vanessa Currado). Main Topics There are both plusses and minuses to police chief turnover.Externally hired chiefs can offer fresh eyes and new perspectives for an agency. Police chiefs tend to leave when they’re older, MORE educated, and when they are an internal hire.Chiefs tend to stick around when the population is larger and there are more females on the force.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail Many police officers now carry less-lethal tools, which provide police officers with the means to apprehend resistant suspects without the need for hands-on tactics or firearms.  Hopefully this reduces the risk of civilian injury and death.  Still, a civilian can sustain an injury from a less-lethal tool.  Since most police agencies support the use of these tools, why not use the one that works but also reduces the risk of civilian injury?  Dr. Keven Petersen from the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte joins the podcast to discuss his recent study, “Less‑Lethal Weapons and Civilian Injury in Police Use of Force Encounters: A Multi‑agency Analysis,” coauthored by Christopher S. Koper, Bruce G. Taylor, Weiwei Liu and Jackie Sheridan‑Johnson. Main Topics An officer’s use of force is linked to police-community relations.Ranking the different less-lethal force tools on the force continuum remains challenging. Chemical agents appear to cause the least harm to civilians.The impact on officer’s safety remains important.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail Gunshot detections systems work.  No, gunshot detection systems don’t work.  Can we have it both ways?  It’s kind of like the first line in A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”  Well?  Which is it?   This week we’ll be discussing Gunshot Detection Systems and the impact on evidence collection and crime.  Dr. Eric Piza, the Lipman Family Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice and Director of Crime Analysis Initiatives at Northeastern University, joins the podcast to discuss his 2024 study, “Gunshot detection technology effect on gun violence in Kansas City, Missouri: A microsynthetic control evaluation, coauthored by David N. Hatten, George O. Mohler, Jeremy G. Carter, and Jisoo Cho. Main Topics The price tag for a gunshot detection system (GDS) can get very expensive very quickly.The use of a gunshot detection system was associated with higher levels of ballistic evidence collection in the GDS target area and surrounding location. The GDS did not influence any of the gun violence categories involving confirmed victims (i.e., fatal and non-fatal, shootings, aggravated assaults).We also get into the political aspects of research, and the role of an academic in policy debates.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on an unproven tool is wasteful, and Artificial Intelligence equipment for policing can be just such an expensive outlay.  While there is a growing body of research showing the AI benefits and limits within policing, the jury is still out on its overall utility.  Professor Ian Adams joins the podcast to discuss his paper titled, “Improving police behavior through artificial intelligence: Pre-registered experimental results in two large US agencies,” published in Criminology (coauthored by Kyle McLean and Geoff Alpert). Main Topics Using AI to audit body camera transcripts, there was an 80% increase in professional behavior in an already professional department.Substandard behavior was significantly reduced in a department with existing problems.  The improved behavior may not be a change in the hearts of officers, but better is still better.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail Almost 25% of guns are used multiple times at or very close to the same place or reused within a relatively short period of time.  Just like “hot spots” for crime, guns can share similar repeat characteristics. In fact, a single firearm should be considered “durable hardware” that may never go away. The emphasis on “gun crime” research has led to a relative lack of understanding about “crime guns” themselves.  In other words, the tools that are a part of gun crime, the guns, are rarely the subject of research.  Today we are joined by Dr. Jonathan Reid, an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M University. Dr. Reid discusses his recent publication titled, “The Gun’s Journey to Crime: Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Repeat Criminal Firearm Use” (co-authored by Yan Zhang, William King, Jennifer Clausen, and William Wells). Click play and learn more about crime guns, not just gun crime. Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail Police officers understand evidence.  From their time in the police academy to the first time they testify in court, even traffic court, an officer understands the importance of providing clear provable information.  The evidence has to contribute to an argument that something is more than likely than not to be true.  But when we to listen to news reports they are going to focus on the most serious issues.  Unfortunately, the most serious issues are not the most common.  In academics we call this "an N of 1."  This does not stop people, the news media, or politicians from exploiting that single incident.  But this is not evidence.  The entire policing field understands the N of 1, because the field of policing can be targeted based on the behavior of a single officer.  Whether the behavior is justified or corrupt, that single incident is thrown about as something common to policing.  Again, this is not evidence.  On today’s episode we’re going to be speaking with Calvin Proffit about the true nature of immigration and its relationship to crime.  This is often discussed in the media, but we’re going to look at what the research evidences tells us about this issue.  Calvin is a PhD candidate in the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati.  Calvin is the lead author of “Gun Violence in the Age of Mass Migration: An Empirical Assessment of Immigration Effects on U.S. County-Level Firearm Homicides, 2000–2015,” which was published just a month or so ago. Main Topics This research is a macro examination of crime patters across locations and demographics.Thirty years of research shows immigration insulates a neighborhood from crime. “Immigrant Revitalization” can decrease gang and gun violence.The macro level data finds a negative relationship between gun homicides and immigrant populations.When it comes to “gang-related” violence, this seems to be a unique problem.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail We’ve all seen the movies in which a suspect is being interviewed by a bad cop and a good cop.  The detectives badger or con the suspect to a point of offering a false confession just to stop the process.  In the real world it is believed that false confessions make up 13% of wrongful convictions.  In the realm of evidence-based policing a relatively new approach to conducting suspect interviews is something called science-based interrogations.  The research into science-based interrogation is limited but growing.  An important component of using a science-based approach to interrogations is the training provided to those police officers and detectives who will use this tool.  Joining the podcast today is Dr. Melissa Russano who will be discussing two studies examining the impact of training on the use of science-based interrogation (SBI) methods.  Melissa is a Professor of Criminal Justice at Roger Williams University.  She holds a Ph.D. in Legal Psychology, and she teaches courses in Research Methods, legal psychology, and investigative interviewing.  You can contact Dr. Russano at [email protected] if you would like to further discuss her research, which includes: Russano, M. B., Meissner, C. A., Atkinson, D. J., Brandon, S. E., Wells, S., Kleinman, S. M., & Jones, M. S. (2024). Evaluating the effectiveness of a 5-day training on science-based methods of interrogation with US federal, state, and local law enforcement investigators. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 30(2), 105. Russano, M. B., Meissner, C. A., Jones, M. S., Rothweiler, J. N., Taylor, P. J., Cory, C., & Brandon, S. E. (2025). Evaluating the effectiveness of a practitioner‐designed science‐based interviewing and interrogation course: A collaborative training and research effort. Legal and Criminological Psychology. Main Topics These studies take lab-based research and apply them in the policing field.SBI has multiple components, and each can improve the effectiveness of gaining cooperation and information from suspect, witnesses, and victims. Applying the traditional the accusatorial model is actually counterproductive.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail A sign means something.  When you see a stop sign there’s no mystery about its meaning.  Some signs are not as clear, and we have to interpret their meaning.  For example, when someone sees neighborhood disorder or social incivilities, such as obvious drug dealing, these serve as warning signals about the potential for crime victimization.  This can then lead to a fear of crime.  Sometimes other factors can come into play that impact a person’s fear.  These “other factors” interfere with the original sign, signaling something that makes you feel safe.  This is important for people who live in areas that suffer from a multitude of disorders or incivilities.  What are some of the other factors that can influence a person’s perception of safety?  If we know what those factors are, can we increase them, thus improve feelings of safety?  Joining the podcast is Doctor Travis M. Carter, an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.  He discusses his recent study titled “Explaining the relationship between neighborhood disorder and crime fear.” Main Topics Incivilities create the perception of crime, but social capital, perceptions of enhanced informal social control and social cohesion, serve as cognitive heuristics that signal to people that their chances of victimization are lower.The “reassurance factor” describes people’s confidence in their local police as directly tied to fear of crime in their neighborhood. The research findings suggest that perceptions of ongoing local social processes by neighbors and the police are fundamental to understanding why disorder is associated with fear of crime.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail A society wants order and the police were developed as the government vehicle to achieve that goal.  There is often tension between the goal of order and how it is achieved.  The tension often results from errors on the part of the responding officer.  This explains why alternative methods for dealing with lower-level social disorders have been explored.  Nevertheless, alternative systems to deal with order maintenance and peace keeping may carry their own risks and unknown costs.  How do we know precisely the risk level of different call types?  Should regular police officers continue to respond to low-level problems?  Joining the podcast is Dr. Loren Atherley, the Sr Director of Performance Analytics & Research and the Senior Research Scientist for the Seattle Police Department.  We discuss his recent study titled, Risk Managed Demand: Operational Risk Management in Police Response to Calls for Service. Main Topics An “all-hazards response” is the traditional approach to social problems that require police intervention.Risk Management literature tells us that risk can be minimized but not eliminated.   So, how much risk are we prepared to accept with a non-officer response?The research identified 4 tiers of social response.There is no clearly identified “call type” that is low hazard; rather a model of call triage is being developed.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail Mental health calls to the police can be challenging for many reasons.  One of the primary problems with sending the police is that they are not usually properly trained to handle a person experiencing a mental health crisis.  The past few years have seen shifts from a law enforcement to a service response.  The Co-Responder model melds police officers and social service clinicians with the goal of improving services while maintaining safety for the responders, the public, and the patient.  Dr. Vaughn Crichlow, the dean of the School of Justice Studies at Roger Williams University joins the podcast to discuss his recent study exploring the perspectives of police and clinicians and their perceived impact of the co-responder program. Main Topics Both officers and clinicians bring different perspectives that needed to be understood by each other to develop a successful co-responder program.The research uncovered different themes, such as sense-making, collaboration, and safety, that will be important for agencies interested in developing a co-responder model.The public believes these programs are important, but there can still be hurdles in their acceptance if they have questions about police legitimacy.The co-responder model does not replace the police; it is a collaborative approach to handle these calls for service.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail Increasing the number of female police officers is a challenge for police agencies.  While there has been ample research on this topic, the issue remains, and so the research continues.  Dr. Kathleen Padilla, from the School of Criminal Justice & Criminology at Texas State University, joins the podcast to discuss her 2024 study exploring the advice current and former female officers would give those who are thinking about entering the police profession. Main Topics Females in policing can no longer be considered “token” hires.The “30x30” program is intended to increase the number of female officers.Cultural and operational changes may have already improved female representation.Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social

Send us Fan Mail The goal of this podcast is provide the police community with research information to improve their work or help solve a problem.  I could not do this without the research that is produced by scholars who have a solid working relationship with police agencies.  It’s helpful that this topic itself, police-researcher collaborations, has been studied to understand the motivations and barriers to this relationship.  Dr. Jeff Rojek from Michigan State University discusses his work in this area.  One of the more important findings from the research may be the result of what the study does not examine: both sides, the police and the researcher, have a responsibility to cultivate these relationships. Main Topics Larger agencies are more likely to have a relationship with a researcher (no surprise there, really).A researcher may carry a larger burden when cultivating these relationships.Researchers should produce a research that is both tactically and strategically useful to the police.  Translate the research into a usable framework.Citation: Rojek, J., Shjarback, J. A., Hansen, J. A., & Alpert, G. P. (2019). Present but not prevalent: identifying the organizational correlates of researcher-practitioner partnerships in US Law Enforcement. Police Practice & Research, 20(6). Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share.  Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review.  Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: [email protected]  You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social