May 11, 2025

222 LAPD Lieutenant Jeff Wenninger (Ret.) Rodney King Riots, Rebuilding The Gang Unit After The Rampart Scandal, & Reenvisioning Police Work (Part Two)

1 hour 6 minutes

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Hey everyone, thanks for joining us as we’re going the back to west coast today for the conclusion of our interview with Author and Retired Los Angeles Police Department Lieutenant Jeff Wenninger!

Jeff is a retired LAPD lieutenant with more than 33 years in law enforcement. He started with L.A. County Sheriff in 1991 and worked the Rodney King riots on the street and jail, where he and his coworkers were not allowed to go home for two weeks straight.

He later lateralled to LAPD in 1993 and went on to work with some of the most highly-trained units, including the Metropolitan Division which encompasses SWAT, K9, high risk warrants, and more. As a sergeant, he was handpicked as the officer in charge of the Rampart Gang Enforcement detail following the Rampart Scandal in the late 90s. As a sergeant and later as a lieutenant, Jeff was the officer in charge of the Use of Force Investigation Division and oversaw investigations of lethal force and other significant applications of force. Jeff's work earned him prestigious awards including the LAPD Medal of Valor, Police Star, and Meritorious Unit Citation.

Jeff is the founder and CEO of Law Enforcement Consultants, LLC. He is releasing a book called “On Thin Ice” that will be published on May 6.

Please enjoy this candid interview witch we talk about what’s good and bad with law enforcement today, and how we can fix it.

In today’s episode we discuss:

· The trends in law enforcement today regarding uniforms.

· How the O.J. Simpson trial changed the LAPD.

· Jeff’s career trajectory with the LAPD?

· The special units Jeff served on and supervised.

· At the apex of a promising career, why Jeff decided to retire from law enforcement.

· How difficult was it to transition to civilian life?

· Being the founder and CEO of Law Enforcement Consultants. What is this and why do it?.

· Your upcoming book, On Thin Ice: An LAPD Veteran’s Journey to Reimagine Policing, is due out soon. Why write it, and what, if any, message do you want to give the reader?

· What Jeff misses the most about the job.

Go check out Jeff's website to learn more about him and his newest book, On Thin Ice.

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