Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop

Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop

Steve Kellams

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 en...

Friends

Friends

Send us a textI am blessed with friends.I am blessed to have neighbors that rushed to my home to make sure that we were safe. I am blessed that I have people who will be there for me and my family in the darkest moments. I am blessed that I have friends who will reach out and provide moral and actual support when needed. I am blessed that I have met some amazing people over my career and they will take the time to chat with me on this podcast and I am blessed that people like you take the time t

Nov 20, 2024 • 8:00

Informal Leadership with Jared Altic

Informal Leadership with Jared Altic

Send us a textJared Altic is a police chaplain in Kansas City, focusing his work in the patrol divisions of the Kansas City Kansas Police Department (KCKPD). He attends roll calls, goes on ride alongs, teaches at the police academy, and responds to homicides, suicides, and accidents in the city. Jared's passion is encouraging officer wellness among cops, which he also does through his podcast, Hey Chaplain.I had the pleasure to talk with Jared about informal leadership and his role as a chaplain

Nov 6, 2024 • 39:45

Possessed

Possessed

Send us a textWelcome to our annual Halloween Episode. These stories have been told to me by officers around the country and they swear they are true stories. Thanks to Parker for this one.Happy Halloween.

Oct 23, 2024 • 6:21

Leading in the Jails

Leading in the Jails

Send us a textIn the United States there are 3,116 local jails, 1,566 State Prisons, and 98 Federal Prisons. But let’s not forget the 1,323 Juvenile Corrections Facilities, 142 Immigration detention facilities, and 80 Tribal jails. These facilities house a little over 1.2 million prisoners.These facilities are staffed with approximately 393,000 corrections officers.At first glance that might seem like a lot.A lot of facilities,A lot of prisoners, A lot of jailers,But it isn’t.Let’s take a look a

Oct 9, 2024 • 46:20

Chief of Police

Chief of Police

Chief of Police is a title typically given to the head of a police department, but that simple definition gets very confusing very quickly. Sheriffs are the name we give to elected officials who preside over county law enforcement in the US, while Chief’s of Police typically preside over municipal police agencies.Sometimes Chief’s are elected. Sometimes they are appointed by a mayor or city council. Sometimes they are selected through the civil service act. Sometimes they are not called Chief’s

Sep 25, 2024 • 36:24

9/11

9/11

Note: This was an extremely difficult episode for me to record. I want to apologize for the audio. It was the best I could do.72 officers had to die.I refuse to let that sacrifice go unremembered.This one is for you,

Sep 11, 2024 • 14:01

Ethics in Leadership

Ethics in Leadership

Ethics in LeadershipIt’s an interesting topic and at times can be very controversial. Peter Drucker was an Austrian American management consultant, educator, and author, whose writings contributed to the philosophical and practical foundations of modern management theory. He famously said “The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers”This statement has led to some interesting classroom discussions as well as arguments about leaders. In my courses I typically lead with a few defin

Aug 28, 2024 • 14:41

Objectively Reasonable

Objectively Reasonable

Commander Bob Meader retired from the Columbus Ohio Police Department in February of 2022. During his tenure at Columbus PD, he served in patrol, street attack unit, property crimes, legal and training. He retired as the commander of the Columbus PD Police Academy. While working Commander Meader managed to get his law degree and today spends his retirement training Ohio police officers on issues regarding the law in Ohio.I had the pleasure to talk with Bob about legal issues pertaining to traini

Aug 14, 2024 • 46:18

Leading Up

Leading Up

Leading UpGeneral William T. Sherman once said "We have good corporals and good sergeants and some good lieutenants and captains, and those are far more important than good generals."Sherman recognized the importance of leading up.What is leading up? It’s providing leadership in an organization from a position of lower authority. It’s understanding the role played by various members of an organization and how to properly and effective work within that organization.This is more commonly referred

Jul 31, 2024 • 18:36

Sheriff

Sheriff

Sheriff, a word, and position that derive from the old English term Shire-Reeve. This person was responsible for managing a shire or county in England. The practice began sometime before 700 A.D. and when America was colonized by European settlers we brought the concept with us. Today in the US, 48 out of the 50 states have sheriffs. Alaska doesn’t have counties and therefore has no sheriff’s and Connecticut replaced its sheriff system with State Marshalls in 2000. In 46 out of the 48 states wit

Jul 17, 2024 • 42:32

Fear is the Mind Killer

Fear is the Mind Killer

Fear is the Mind Killer, That statement is as relevant today as it was in 1965 when Frank Hubert published his novel Dune.Paul Atraides, the main character in Dune, quotes from the Litany of Fear in the first chapter of the book. The entire quote is;"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where

Jul 3, 2024 • 18:42

Challenging Leadership with Dr. Jack Enter

Challenging Leadership with Dr. Jack Enter

I had been a sergeant for about 6 years before my agency sent me to my very first leadership class. I didn’t know what to expect and honestly, I thought it was going to be a waste of time. I mean I had been an informal leader on night shift for years as the old guy and the FTO. When they promoted me to sergeant, they obviously didn’t think leadership was important because they didn’t bother to send me to any training. So, I wasn’t very interested.This story could have had a very different ending

Jun 19, 2024 • 53:14

School of Hard Knocks

School of Hard Knocks

Leadership Journeys.You are going to hear me talk a lot about leadership journeys this season.What do I mean about leadership journeys? It’s how I describe the process of growing as a leader, of taking on formal and informal responsibilities and about not only learning the process of leadership, but embracing it as well.I decided the best way to start this season off was to talk you through my leadership journey, and no it wasn’t very pretty.Many of you out there have had the pleasure of having

Jun 5, 2024 • 17:49

Season 5 Trailer

Season 5 Trailer

Leadership, The Oxford English Dictionary defines leadership as;The action of leading a group of people or an organization. The state or position of being a leader.Got it. That’s a simple one. Next important lesson please…Not so fast.Leadership has to be one of the most vexing skills to learn in our profession. First of all, it’s critically important. It’s important for the officer working the beat who must deal with the public every day. They must lead on scenes and at calls for service, they m

May 22, 2024 • 5:11

That's a Wrap

That's a Wrap

That's a Wrap.In 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic I decided to start this podcast. I had just retired and started full time teaching and consulting when the world came to a grinding halt. The podcast was a way to fill that void. To scratch my teaching itch and to share what I had learned in 30 years of working as a cop.  I couldn’t be more happy with the results.  Over the last four years I have had the pleasure of reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, and sharing informat

Nov 29, 2023 • 2:05

Can it get worse?

Can it get worse?

In 2022 Rafael Mangual a senior fellow and head of research for policing and public safety at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research published his book Criminal (In)Justice. If your profession revolves around the criminal justice system then this is a must-read book. Using extensive studies and documentation Mangual takes the fight to the decarceration and depolicing narrative. He quickly and succinctly destroys the concept of defunding the police.Criminal (In)Justice points out that the de

Nov 15, 2023 • 24:29

We Saw It Coming with Rick Snyder

We Saw It Coming with Rick Snyder

Rick Snyder started in law enforcement over 27 years ago and continues to serve on a major metropolitan police department. Rick is the president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 86 and also serves as the National FOP Chaplain.Rick has been vocal about the issues involving police reform for many years and I was pleased to have an opportunity to talk to Rick about the state of policing and the war on cops.Rick had so much more to say, but do to technical difficulties and schedule conflicts we ha

Nov 1, 2023 • 28:04

Halloween Special: Creepy Conversation

Halloween Special: Creepy Conversation

This is our fourth annual Halloween Special and it's a doozy. Ever had one of those creepy encounters that just set the hair on the back of your neck straight up. Usually we just move on and forget about them, but sometimes they can really spook you.In this episode we hear the real true story of a creepy conversation that took a dark turn quickly. Dim the lights and settle in for another true Halloween story.

Oct 18, 2023 • 6:02

More Dispatch with Jeff Schemmer

More Dispatch with Jeff Schemmer

Jeff Schemmer is a longtime friend and colleague of mine. He is also an expert on the 911 system. Jeff began working in the 911 community thirty-five years ago as a dispatcher with the Bloomington Indiana Police Department. After the 1998 consolidation of dispatch services with BPD and Monroe County Sheriff's Office, he continued to serve as a dispatcher, training coordinator and Communications Manager until 2019, when he accepted the position of Executive Director with Hamilton County Publ

Oct 4, 2023 • 36:12

Mourning Bands

Mourning Bands

There isn’t an easy answer to the origin of the black mourning band. The use of black clothing to show that the wearer is in mourning for the loss of a loved one, can be traced all the way back to ancient Rome, where the traditional white toga would be replaced with a black toga pulla. Over the centuries and in various cultures white and black have battled it out for dominance as the prevailing color for mourning however in the 14th century, Christian Churches had made the wearing of black at fu

Sep 20, 2023 • 14:58

Rural Policing with Kathleen Dias

Rural Policing with Kathleen Dias

Kathleen Dias isn’t a cop, but her husband was and the experiences he faced everyday as a rural police officer made her want to write about the issues faced by rural officers in America. She began studying, writing, and researching topics important to rural officers and speaking out against the Mayberry perceptions that most people have of the job. Not only does Kathleen write a column for police one dot com but she has also starting tracking rural officers who are assaulted and killed in the li

Sep 6, 2023 • 45:00

Stop Hiring and Start Retaining

Stop Hiring and Start Retaining

During my 3 years as the Administrative Captain, I hired 43 police officers. 43 in three years. That number becomes amazing when you realize that my department was only allowed 100 cops at maximum staffing. 43% turnover in 3 years.Sadly, only in policing can you get away with that. If I were to address the board of directors for a company and told them that employee turnover was 43%, I probably wouldn’t have my job for very long. But in policing that’s not uncommon. If you add in corrections off

Aug 23, 2023 • 20:59

Everyday Stories with Glenn Topping

Everyday Stories with Glenn Topping

I will never forget some advice given to me by one of my FTOs. “Write it down. Write something down everyday and at then end of your career you’ll have a best-selling novel. You’ll never have to work again.” Unfortunately, my rookie self wasn’t smart enough to take him up on his advice. I never wrote it down and because of that so many stories have slipped through the cracks. Glenn Topping is someone who did write those things down and because of that he has gone on to write six novels. His firs

Aug 9, 2023 • 31:55

On Warriors and Guardians

On Warriors and Guardians

In this episode we will look at the terms typically used to define the police, warriors and guardians. Where did these terms come from and why have they become so divisive within our profession. Warrior, Guardians, and Cops.

Jul 26, 2023 • 12:25

Internal Affairs

Internal Affairs

Officer involved shootings are some of the most difficult and important internal investigations you will ever be a part of. Making sure they are done properly at all levels is critically important to the officers involved, the agency, and the community.To talk about this topic as well as other issues involving internal affairs, I had the pleasure of speaking with Marlon Marrache.Marlon retired from the Los Angeles Police Department after 25 years of service. During his 15 years as a Sergeant, he

Jul 12, 2023 • 43:48

Demotivation

Demotivation

Demotivation is simply a lack of interest and motivation at your work. It doesn’t seem like a big deal; I mean everyone gets a little demotivated at work. You slack off a little, spend some extra time at the water cooler or on a smoke break, and once the weekend kicks in you get a little rest and relaxation before you’re better next week.That’s not what’s going on in policing. Demotivation is more than just a little frustration at the workplace. In policing it’s one of the things destroying are

Jun 28, 2023 • 21:04

Training Tactics with Scott Savage

Training Tactics with Scott Savage

Today’s policing is more dangerous than ever. Staying sharp and following proper professional and tactical procedures is the key to staying alive and I couldn’t think of a better guest to talk to about this topic than Scott Savage.Scott Savage began his career in public safety at age 19, first as an E.M.T and then as a licensed paramedic working in a busy emergency medical system. In 1999, he became a police officer with the Palo Alto Police Department in California where he worked assignments i

Jun 14, 2023 • 38:28

The War on Cops

The War on Cops

There are a lot of people, including those in our profession that don’t like to hear the phrase “War on Cops”. They feel it will promote the Us vs Them mentality and broaden the divide between the working police officer and the public they serve.In 2014 Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown after Brown violently attacked him. That’s right, contrary to what you have heard from the media, social justice pundits and professional athletes the investigation, evidence and

May 31, 2023 • 16:54

Welcome to the Academy

Welcome to the Academy

Police Academy is more than just a funny movie starring Steve Guttenberg from 1984. It is the basis for law enforcement across the United States and most of the world.Police academies are training schools for recruit officers that provide the basic instruction on how to do job of a police officer. They include but are not limited to classes in firearms, physical control tactics, emergency driving, criminal law, arrest procedures, traffic stop procedures, medical skills, and emergency responses.T

Nov 30, 2022 • 25:53

True Crime

True Crime

True Crime is a genre as old as Cain and Able. OK, maybe not that old, but it’s pretty close.The True Crime genre is a non-fiction book, magazine, pulp, podcast, movie, or TV series that examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people associated with and affected by criminal events. Murder is the crime most focused on and Serial Killers make up 40% of the True Crime genre.Today, True Crime is not only the most in demand type of documentary, but it also almost doubles the Science

Nov 16, 2022 • 17:24

Interviews with Stan Walters

Interviews with Stan Walters

A few months into my first year on the department I attended my first in-service training class with the agency. Interview and Interrogation taught by a guy named Stan Walters. I learned a lot from Stan.Stan Walters has spent more than 40 years studying and researching the science of interview and interrogation. He is the author of Principles of Kinesic Interview and Interrogation, 2d, ed. and The Truth About Lying: How to Spot a Lie and Protect Yourself From Deception which has been published i

Nov 2, 2022 • 48:44

Halloween Special: Lights over the Lake

Halloween Special: Lights over the Lake

In this Halloween Special we hear a true story that's out of this world.

Oct 19, 2022 • 5:39

Dispatch with Adam Timm

Dispatch with Adam Timm

Dispatch is one of the most important parts of the emergency management system. They are the first ones to talk to the public, they answer questions, and send help where needed. It’s also the one we tend to forget about.To help us understand more about Dispatch and what they do I talked with Adam Timm.Adam Timm worked as a dispatcher for LAPD for 10 years before starting his own training company “The Healthy Dispatcher” He has gone on to provide international instruction for 911 operators as wel

Oct 5, 2022 • 37:40

The National Police Force

The National Police Force

I have worked with most of the federal agencies at one time or another and for the most part the individual agents were great. Dedicated professionals working hard to solve the cases. I always appreciated the resources they could bring to a case.But the moment I had to deal with one of the “Guys in Charge” things tended to take a turn for the worst. The higher up the administrative ladder you went the ideas and goals of what you were all trying to accomplish would change very quickly.The biggest

Sep 21, 2022 • 18:54

Wrist Lock with Jason Harney

Wrist Lock with Jason Harney

In this episode of Blue Canary we talk to Jason Harney, retired LVMPD Sergeant and documentary film maker about his upcoming documentary "Wrist Lock: The Martial Arts Influence on Police Use of Force." A documentary film featuring interviews with high level martial artists from around the country, who have also served their communities as Law Enforcement Officers, as well as experts in police training, wellness, & fitness.http://lightningdigitalentertainment.com/wrist-lock.htmlWris

Sep 7, 2022 • 40:17

The Five Best Cop Movies

The Five Best Cop Movies

I thought we would have a little bit of fun this episode and break down the five best cop movies for you night owls. Back in the day you had to buy these on VHS, yes, I am that old, or DVD. But, today with streaming services you can probably find this without too much difficulty.Before we get into the list here are a few caveats. First these are based on my personal opinion, just because I am right doesn’t mean some of you out there can’t be wrong. I am also not a professional reviewer so the th

Aug 24, 2022 • 18:09

The DEA with Michael Brown

The DEA with Michael Brown

Michael Brown retired as a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency after 32 years of service. His experience in the DEA not only involved interdiction and enforcement within the United States, but he spent a significant amount of time working in foreign countries attempting to stem the tide of drugs to the US. He is currently the Counter-Narcotics Interdiction Business Development Manager for Rigaku Analytical Devices. We talked about a variety of issues around the war on drugs and his ex

Aug 10, 2022 • 35:27

Uvalde

Uvalde

On May 24th, 2022, a gunman entered the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde County Texas and murdered 19 children and 2 adult teachers.The police stood by for over an hour while the active killer was on the loose in the school and did nothing.That’s hard for me to believe.But it’s true, and as we learn more about the police response or lack thereof, I personally become more disgusted.That is not what police believe in. That is not what we do and that is not who we are. Unfortunately, we gotta own i

Jul 27, 2022 • 25:31

Why be an FTO?

Why be an FTO?

What is an FTO?Well, you should already know by now because you should have gone through an FTO program when you hired on the job. You mean you didn’t have an FTO program? You mean they just handed you the keys to the car, a map, and said call me if you have any problems?Unfortunately, this is all too familiar.Now what do we mean by Field Training Officer Program? It is simply an on-the-job training program that assists with the on-boarding and training of brand-new officers to the police depart

Jul 13, 2022 • 19:37

Training with Jim Glennon

Training with Jim Glennon

Training, you are going to hear a lot about training in this season’s episodes. It’s the cornerstone of good police work and unfortunately, we don’t get it when we need it. There are lots of reasons why and we are going to explore those and other training topics on this episode with our interview of Lt. Jim Glennon.Jim started with the Lombard Illinois Police Department in 1980 and held many positions at the department. In 1998 he became the first Commander of the Dupage County Major Crimes Task

Jun 29, 2022 • 43:58

Reform Must Start with Training!

Reform Must Start with Training!

Training.We have talked about it several times on this show. And we are going to talk more about it today. Police reform is a hot button topic today with legislatures all over the US passing law enforcement bills and police reform bills in an effort to improve the professionalism of policing.But they are missing the mark.The bills are focusing on specific topics like choke holds, which have been outlawed for decades, and de-escalation, which people struggle to define. Instead of specific topics

Jun 15, 2022 • 21:12

Season Three Trailer

Season Three Trailer

Season Three is almost here. The Blue Canary Podcast team has been hard at work creating new episodes for all of our subscribers and casual listeners.In just two short weeks we will start dropping brand new episodes.And we have some great interviews for you.Here are a few teasers for what’s coming on this season of Blue Canary.If you are finding us for the first time, check out our episodes from Season 1 and Season 2 and make sure you like, share and subscribe.

Jun 1, 2022 • 5:04

Getting Coffee with Matt Molter

Getting Coffee with Matt Molter

In this final episode of season two, I sit down and have some coffee with Matt Molter the owner of Agency360 and sponsor of Blue Canary to talk about the state of law enforcement and what the future might bring.https://www.agency360.com/

Nov 24, 2021 • 42:56

In the Line of Duty

In the Line of Duty

In this episode of Blue Canary we will discuss the FBI LEOKA project and the issues regarding officers killed in the line of duty.

Nov 11, 2021 • 14:00

In The Line of Duty

In The Line of Duty

The deadly reality of law enforcement is that people try and kill us simply for doing out jobs. In this episode of Blue Canary we will take a look at the FBI LEOKA data and see the shocking changes in the last several years.There are a lot of reasons officer’s die in the line of duty, everything from automobile accidents to health issues, to assaults. In 2019, 151 officers died in the line of duty. That number increased dramatically in 2020 to 369 with 240 of those deaths being caused by officer

Nov 10, 2021 • 12:57

The Old Victorian a Halloween Special

The Old Victorian a Halloween Special

What's the spookiest thing you've ever had to deal with? This is one of those questions that can catch you off guard. Sometimes it will take you a few minutes to come up with an answer, but if you've been in this job for more than a minute you have had something weird, creepy, scary or spooky happen to you. It makes for a perfect true Halloween story. This years true creepy story comes to us from a Sheriff's Deputy who had a real life encounter with something very strange a s

Oct 27, 2021 • 6:47

Side Jobs with Robert Garland

Side Jobs with Robert Garland

Throughout most of the United States police salaries are pretty low. That means cops have to figure out ways to make ends meet through side jobs. Some cops are landscapers on the side, some are locksmiths, some work as much overtime as they can get. Robert Garland really did something special when he founded "Fund the First" are crowdsourcing platform for first responders and veterans. https://fundthefirst.com/In this episode of Blue Canary we talk to Robert Garland about how he got in

Oct 20, 2021 • 19:01

All the Small Things

All the Small Things

All the small things we tend to take for granted. People look at the uniforms police wear and just assume that the department purchased everything for them. Uniform shirts and pants, gun belt, handcuffs, gun, magazines, ammunition, radio, badge, the list goes on and on. All those small things add up.In this episode of Blue Canary we are going to look at all of the little things that add up to big things and how many officers around the country have to buy their own equipment out of pocket.

Oct 6, 2021 • 10:14

No Atheists in Foxholes with Jim Bontrager

No Atheists in Foxholes with Jim Bontrager

On this episode of Blue Canary we speak to Jim Bontrager, Chaplain and President-Elect of the International Conference of Police Chaplains about the role of police chaplains and their affect on officers and agencies. Jim Bontrager is the Senior Chaplain with the Elkhart, IN Police Department and founder of Warrior on the Wall Ministries.  Jim speaks at Law Enforcement conferences, retreats and conducts LE/ Chaplain training around the country.  He holds his Master Chaplain credentials with the I

Sep 22, 2021 • 24:06

The Fearless Generation

The Fearless Generation

“What the hell do I do with these Millennials?”That has to be one of the most common questions I get in my classes. Trainers and supervisors across the country are struggling to relate and deal with the millennial police officer. Well, I’ve got bad news for you. The millennials have been here for awhile and they’re not going away.Generational Studies have been one of the go-to area of social science for a while now. With terms like the Lost Generation, The Greatest Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen

Sep 8, 2021 • 14:52

The Robin Hood Effect

The Robin Hood Effect

George Floyd should not have died in police custody. The actions taken by Derek Chauvin were reprehensible and universally condemned by law enforcement. George Floyd was a victim of police misconduct. But he was not a hero. In this episode we will discuss the Robin Hood Effect, where criminals are labeled heroes. From the 1300's to today society has a penchant for proclaiming the good guy bad, and the bad guy good. It's not new, or even unusual, but we need to understand it and the sev

Aug 25, 2021 • 12:44

Behind the Walls with Jeff Carter

Behind the Walls with Jeff Carter

In this episode of Blue Canary we speak to jail expert Jeff Carter about the challenges of housing mentally ill prisoners.Jeff retired December 2018 as the Deputy Director of the Fayette County Detention Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Over his 20-year career, he has worked all levels of custody inside a 1,300-bed correctional facility located in the horse racing capitol of the world. Jeff was an instructor for 5 years inside the academy, where he trained over 700 recruits, molding them into succ

Aug 11, 2021 • 28:07

Comedy in Law Enforcement with Vinnie Montez

Comedy in Law Enforcement with Vinnie Montez

"Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine." That quote by Lord Byron explains why cops love comedy. We love to laugh, and to play pranks, sometimes at the most inappropriate times. Mostly because it helps us heal. Vinnie Montez comes on this episode of Blue Canary to discuss his journey into comedy and why we should all take a few minutes everyday and laugh.You can find information about Vinnie and where he will be performing at his website, https://www.vinniemontez.com/ also fo

Jul 28, 2021 • 36:14

The Myth of the Highly Trained Police Officer

The Myth of the Highly Trained Police Officer

Police officers are frequently described as "Highly Trained", but that couldn't be further from the truth. Police are often expected to handle extremely confusing, difficult, and dangerous situations with little or no training. The true miracle is that the police manage to get it right a vast majority of the time.In this episode of Blue Canary we are going to take a look at police training. How much they get, and why even that is not enough. We will also discuss the problems agenc

Jul 14, 2021 • 12:59

Interview with an Applicant

Interview with an Applicant

In the season two premier of Blue Canary, Steve Kellams interviews a police applicant and gets an idea of what the next generation of police officer candidates are looking for in  a career.They talk about everything from reasons to becoming a police officer to the current defund the police movements and how these things affect the applicants thought process.Are you interested in what the next generation is looking for from a department?Curious if any of your potential police hires have attended

Jun 30, 2021 • 20:25

Season 2 Trailer

Season 2 Trailer

Season 2 is almost here. Subscribe to Blue Canary and don't miss an episode.

Jun 16, 2021 • 2:06

Welcome to the Party, Pal: Technology, Predictions, and Reflections with Matt Molter

Welcome to the Party, Pal: Technology, Predictions, and Reflections with Matt Molter

It’s the 21st century, so why is technology in law enforcement practically stuck in the Dark Ages? Even if departments are starting to adopt new technologies, the mindset behind it is often just a digitized version of an analog process, with no automation or innovation to make the job more efficient. If cops are going to do their jobs and serve their communities better, they need tech solutions designed for that purpose.In this episode, Steve Kellams is joined by former cop and current programme

Feb 18, 2021 • 29:52

I Sleep Alone So You Can Sleep Safe

I Sleep Alone So You Can Sleep Safe

As officers, we love our families, and they’re a big part of why we do the job. Yet, we often forget how our profession impacts the lives of our family members. We go to great lengths to help cops cope with the long hours and high-stress environment, but how do the spouses manage?In this episode, Steve Kellams is joined by three cop wives who have agreed to discuss their experiences anonymously. They vulnerably share how the job’s stresses affect them and their children.This Episode Brought to L

Jan 20, 2021 • 24:19

Understanding and Highlighting CopLine with Stephanie Samuels

Understanding and Highlighting CopLine with Stephanie Samuels

In this bonus episode, Steve Kellams is joined by Stephanie Samuels to discuss CopLine, a national hotline for police officers. CopLine is a completely confidential resource staffed with vetted and trained retired police officers. If you’re a law enforcement officer looking for someone to talk to about the pressures of the job, visit https://www.copline.org/ or call 1-800-COPLINE.Resources Discussed: CopLine: https://www.copline.org/This Episode Brought to Law Enforcers By: Agency360: https://ag

Dec 30, 2020 • 30:12

The Hardest Thing I've Ever Had to Do

The Hardest Thing I've Ever Had to Do

We spend a lot of time training officers on how to handle “things”–the concrete skills needed to do the job every day: physical tactics, firearms use, traffic stops, and domestic violence response. What we don’t do well is prepare them for the mental and emotional impact a career in law enforcement brings. In this episode, Steve Kellams is joined by Stephanie Samuels, a psychotherapist and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder expert focused on issues in law enforcement, and Shaun Tieman, a former cop

Dec 17, 2020 • 14:31

The Dirtiest Word in Policing

The Dirtiest Word in Policing

The decentralized and local-based policing across the United States has its advantages. Yet, it means each community has a different type of police force with varying focuses. Why the differences across departments? Politics. And politics is the dirtiest word in policing.In this episode, Steve Kellams breaks down why, and how front-line patrol officers receive backlash for the policies they are ordered to enforce.Resources Discussed: https://video.foxnews.com/v/6151671000001#sp=show-clipshttps:/

Nov 11, 2020 • 23:22

Even Fish Recognize Bad Leaders with Lou Reiter

Even Fish Recognize Bad Leaders with Lou Reiter

Police reform is all over the news, yet, no one discusses what happens once the offending officers are identified. This episode will give you an inside look into the internal affairs investigation process with guest Lou Reiter.Lou was a member of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1961 to 1981, when he retired as Deputy Chief of Police. During his twenty-year career, he served as a uniformed officer, an instructor, and an Internal Affairs Officer. He’s since become a sought-after expert with

Oct 28, 2020 • 31:15

BONUS: Back from the Grave: A Halloween Story

BONUS: Back from the Grave: A Halloween Story

It was a cool autumn night when the call went out. A woman called 911 claiming her ex-husband was trying to kill her. In this bonus episode, find out what happened when Steve and his partner arrived on the scene.This Episode Brought to Law Enforcers By:  Agency360: https://agency360.com

Oct 21, 2020 • 2:45

Anatomy of a Riot

Anatomy of a Riot

When you work on the police force in a small city with nearly 50,000 university students, you get a lot of experience with civil disorder. As we’ve seen this year, this disorder can often turn into a riot.In this episode, host Steve Kellams shares his experiences dealing with riots on the Indiana University campus and the lessons he’s learned along the way. He’ll examine the different types of riots, break down the various elements present in each one, and discuss the impact of police response t

Oct 7, 2020 • 23:08

How Did We Get Here? with Dave Grossman

How Did We Get Here? with Dave Grossman

As you watch what’s happening in the news, do you ever wonder how we got here? As a society? As an industry? Joining this episode is Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, a US Army Ranger, paratrooper, and former West Point Psychology Professor. Since  retiring  from the military in 1998, he travels the country as one of the leading trainers for military, law enforcement, mental health providers, and school safety organizations.On this episode, Dave joins host Steve Kellams to answer these questions and offer

Sep 23, 2020 • 38:10

Where Have All the Good Cops Gone?

Where Have All the Good Cops Gone?

The need for good police officers is higher than ever. Yet, recruiting is down 85% across the country. In this episode, Steve digs into the contributing factors while sharing creative ways to encourage a new generation of applicants. Resources Discussed: https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=7https://reason.com/2019/06/25/u-s-cops-are-facing-a-recruitment-crisis-will-it-force-them-to-change-their-ways/https://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2218&context=masters-the

Sep 9, 2020 • 22:20

Army Training, Sir! with Ed Mireles

Army Training, Sir! with Ed Mireles

On April 11, 1986 in Miami, Florida a FBI Unit 55 is sitting across from a bank on South Dixie Highway, FBI agents Jake Hanlon and Ed Mireles are drinking coffee and shooting the breeze. Nothing different from hundreds of other stakeouts. “Attention All Units!” breaks out over the radio. The ensuing gunfight between 8 FBI agents and 2 heavily armed and military trained robbery suspects would dramatically change, not only the FBI, but all of law enforcement.Ed Mireles joins the show to share his

Aug 26, 2020 • 30:48

Spartans! What is Your Profession?

Spartans! What is Your Profession?

When reform needs to happen, often, those in law enforcement aren't given seats at the table. It can feel like the experience and expertise we have accumulated are disregarded. Why is that? In this episode, we explore all the reasons and how the understanding of what profession means can make an impact. As a professional in law enforcement, it's clear that change is taking place. While reform needs to happen, the question is, who should be leading this charge? Find out on Blue Canary w

Jul 29, 2020 • 26:09

Introducing Blue Canary: A Show for Cops by a Cop

Introducing Blue Canary: A Show for Cops by a Cop

Who approaches the scene first risking their lives for the safety of others? We do. The blue canaries, law enforcement. And we allow others to tell our stories. Why?When it comes to being in law Enforcement in whatever capacity that entails there are pressures all around. It can be administration, media, civilians, or the traditional hostility that comes from having to enforce the laws. It’s a myriad of factors. As cops, we start to build up armor to protect ourselves. Once that armor is built,

Apr 13, 2020 • 3:12

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