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It should be noted that this episode was recorded on January 2, 2025, one day after the terror attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas. Of course, there will be new information as the investigations proceed regarding these horrific acts of cowardly violence. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. We touch on this topic, but know that all the facts aren’t in and we may never know exactly what the motives were, how many were involved, and what could have been done to prevent these tragedies.

Today on the show I was lucky enough to get back up from my friend and fellow author, retired Chicago Police Department Detective Lieutenant Richard Rybicki.

The good lieutenant served for over 29 years on the Chicago Police Department where he worked as a Patrol Officer, Tactical Officer, Gang Crimes Specialist, Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, and Detective Lieutenant. His last assignment was as the Lieutenant/commanding officer of the Area Three Homicide/Sex/Gang Crimes unit.

Thank you for joining us as we look back on 2024 and peer into 2025 with all its good, bad, and ugly.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      What’s a “ghoul pool” and other New Year’s Eve stories from big city cops.

·      What really happens in big cities in the United States on New Year’s and how the cops cope with the stress.

·      Me almost getting shot on my second New Year’s Eve as a rookie cop.

·      The terror attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas on New Year’s.

·      What is the FBI doing about these attacks?

·      144 police officers killed in the line of duty in 2024.

·      The problem with recruitment and retention of law enforcement in the U.S.A. 

·      Writing and publishing trends in 2024.

·      What’s going to be big in 2025 in the writing biz?

 Visit Richard's author page on Amazon.
Check out the Sam Laska Crime Thriller page on Facebook.
Visit Richard at his website!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

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Today we are bringing back returning champ, retired NYPD Detective, Author, and Podcaster, Vic Ferrari. 

Vic worked a distinguished twenty-year career with the NYPD as a patrol officer and later moved up to the organized crime unit working in the auto theft squad as a detective. During his retirement, he wrote NYPD Tell All books. This has blossomed into a catalog of amazing books, including his latest NYPD: Presumption & Dysfunction!

On the show today we discuss the homicide of United Health Care’s CEO, Brian Thompson, and the suspected killer, Luigi Mangione, and his newest book,  NYPD: Presumption & Dysfunction.

Please enjoy my chat with the informative and highly entertaining, Vic Ferrari!

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      The homicide of United Health Care’s CEO, Brian Thompson, and the suspected killer, Luigi Mangione.

·      How the suspected killer Luigi Mangione was not a professional hitman like so many news agencies were portraying him early in the investigation!

·      The ridiculous support he is getting from strangers.

·      Vic’s recent book release, NYPD: Presumption & Dysfunction (Tell All NYPD Books). 

·      What do his former co-workers say about the books?

·      The use of nicknames in police work. Some funny ones and if anyone has been salty about you bringing them up.

·      Vic’s nickname.

·      Vic’s podcast, NYPD Through The Looking Glass.

Visit Vic Ferrari's Amazon Author Page to learn more about him and his books!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

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Welcome to a bonus Christmas Eve Cops and Writers with my friend Chicago PD Detective Richard Rybicki!

Today’s bonus episode is filled with police stories from working Christmas during the holidays. We also both answer the burning question, is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

Please enjoy this fun holiday Cops and Writers.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      How a suspect was throwing his own blood at Rich on Christmas.

·      How the cops celebrated Christmas while working.

·      Crackhead Christmas with a communist!

·      Fighting with a gunshot victim in the back of an ambulance.

·      Never volunteer. No good deed ever goes unpunished.

·      Suicidal people during the holidays.

·      Suicide hotline 988, the police hotline is 800-267-5463. You are not alone. Don’t make a permanent decision based on a temporary situation!

·      Is Die Hard a Christmas movie and some interesting Die Hard trivia.

·      Rich’s newest book series, The Corpse Whisperer. 

·      Patrick’s book, The Good Collar, is hopefully being released soon!!

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

 Visit Richard's author page on Amazon.
Check out the Sam Laska Crime Thriller page on Facebook.
Visit Richard at his website!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Would you like to win a Free Kindle Fire and signed copies of the Good Collar? Here is the link!!

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Today we are traveling to the great white north, Canada where we are chatting with Stephen G. Metelsky, M.A. Steve is a criminal psychology professor at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. He also lectures about organized crime at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. 

Steve spent 21 years as a police officer and later was promoted to sergeant with the Halton Regional Police Service & the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). He specialized in traditional organized crime, informant development and undercover operations as an operator and covert handler. 

Please enjoy this eye-opening and entertaining conversation with Steve.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      How Steve got interested in police work.

·      Life as a recruit in a Canadian police academy back in the 1990s.

·      The best job on the police force, sergeant!

·      Steve’s first exposure to undercover police work.

·      “Good Stress” in police work.

·      Steve specializes in organized crime, undercover operations, and informant development.

·      Mexican drug cartels, Hell’s Angels, the Wolfpack alliance, and Asian gangs in Canada.

·      Steve’s book, Undercover: Stories from the underworld of law enforcement.

Head on over to Steve's website to learn more about him and his books!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

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Today we are traveling across the pond to England to speak to Author, Award-Winning Journalist, and Television Producer Robert Murphy and Retired British Police Officer Michelle Leonard. 

Ron Evans, aka, The Clifton Rapist, had been arrested and convicted of raping and killing a young woman but only served 10 years in prison. In 1979, when he was released from prison, he went back to his criminal behavior and raped at least 7 young women eluding the police for several years.

There was an incredible public outcry for the police to capture this maniac. In complete secrecy, a daring new plan was introduced, unlike anything previously attempted by a UK police force. A small group of young female officers – some just 18 – put their lives on the line, walking the quiet residential roads late at night, acting as bait until one fateful night The Clifton Rapist attacked Undercover Police Officer Michelle Leonard who was acting as a decoy. 

Please enjoy this incredible story told by the police officer who lived it and the journalist who wrote the book and produced the movie, Decoy: The gripping true crime story of one of Britain’s most shocking and secretive historical undercover police operations.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      How Michelle got interested in police work.

·      How many years she was in the police force when she was approached to become a decoy. 

·      Bristol 1979 being a safe area before the Clifton Rapist started his one-man crime wave. 

·      How the British police force investigated sexual crimes back then without the aid of modern science.

·      What it was like for Michelle when this homicidal manic attempted to assault her.

·      Robert Murphy’s interest in the case and the book he wrote and the documentary he made depicting this case.

 All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Please visit Robert's website to learn more about him, Michelle, and his work.

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

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Get your pen and paper ready to take notes! Today’s show is for you writers out there or those of you who are curious how a New York Bestselling author navigates the ever-changing waters of publishing books and collaborating with other authors. 

On the show today we chat with J.D. Barker and Christine Daigle.

J.D. Barker is the New York Times and international best-selling author of numerous novels, including DRACUL, THE FOURTH MONKEY, A CALLER'S GAME AND BEHIND A CLOSED DOOR. He is currently collaborating with James Patterson. His books have been translated into two dozen languages, sold in more than 150 countries, and optioned for both film and television.

By day, Christine Daigle is a clinical neuropsychologist whose work includes brain-computer interfaces translating brain signals into commands to control technology. When she has time, Christine Daigle is a multi-genre author whose latest release, Heavy Are The Stones, is a serial killer thriller co-authored with New York Times bestselling author J.D. Barker. She and Barker are also collaborating on a reboot of Flatliners, based on the original screenplay.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      Their experience at Author Nation writers’ convention.

·      The attention grabbing first line of Behind a Closed Door, “Would you kill a stranger to save your partner?”

·      Pushing sexual boundaries in books and movies.

·      The essential elements to writing a good thriller!

·      The research involved with the controversial book, Behind a Closed Door.

·      How to overcome writer’s block.

·      Best advice for new writers or those writers trying to up their game.

Check out Christine's website to learn more about her and her books!
Head on over to J.D.'s website!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

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On the show today we are going true crime detailing the murder for hire plot involving former NYPD Police Officer Valerie Cincinelli. 

On May 17th, 2019, Valerie solicited her boyfriend, John DiRubba, to hire a hitman to murder his own daughter and Valerie's ex-husband, Isaiah Carvalho. Isaiah and John worked with the FBI to secretly record conversations and to stage a crime scene photo which was sent to John by an FBI agent posing as a hitman. 

To help me out today I brought in my favorite NYPD Detectives, Marique Bartoldus and Vic Ferrari. They both gave us invaluable insights into the NYPD and incredible feedback regarding the case, not to mention some laughs.

Please enjoy this story of greed, jealousy, lust, and sometimes, just plain stupidity.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      We talk about Vic Ferrari’s newest book, NYPD: Presumption & Dysfunction and Marique Bartoldus’ book, Twenty and Out.

·      The term, ‘hairbag’. 

·      The evolution of Valerie Cuccinelli’s career with the NYPD. 

·      The beginnings of her breakup with her husband and starting an affair.

·      Valerie’s unusual behavior.

·      The FBI staging her husband’s murder and the sting operation that led to her arrest.

·      Valerie’s eventual arrest and resignation from the NYPD.

·      Final thoughts regarding this case.

Check out Marique's Amazon Author Page.
Visit Vic Ferrari's Amazon Author Page to learn more about him and his books!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

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Welcome back for the conclusion of my very special two-part interview with Susan Snow. 

Susan Snow is the daughter of LAPD Detective Thomas C. Williams, who was killed in the line of duty on October 31, 1985,  in a contract hit while driving his six year old son to school. Thomas shielded his son from a hail of gunfire, saving his sons life while giving up his own. Detective Williams was a hero on so many levels.

Susan was only seventeen years old and a senior in high school at the time of this incident. Susan's book "The Other Side of the Gun" was born out of Susan’s journey through the trauma she experienced with the death of her father. She wrote it to heal herself and help others heal through her words and experiences. 

Thank you Susan for sharing your story with us. I would like to dedicate this episode to your father, LAPD Detective Thomas C. Williams, end of watch October 31, 1985. Rest easy hero.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      Was justice ever served?

·      Why she wrote the book, The Other Side of The Gun. How this book changed her and her loved ones. 

·      The movie, In The Line of Duty, The Price of Vengeance that depicted her father’s murder. 

·      Are you hyper vigilant with your family and yourself?

·      Did she ever consider becoming a cop? What if her kids want to?

·      What advise she would give to anyone who is going through this type of trauma.

·      Her new career being a public speaker.

·      Bulldoze fear!

Visit Susan's website to learn more about her and her book.

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

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Welcome to part one of a very special two-part interview with my guest Susan Snow. 

Susan Snow is the daughter of LAPD Detective Thomas C. Williams, who was killed in the line of duty on October 31, 1985,  in a contract hit while driving his six year old son to school. Thomas shielded his son from a hail of gunfire, saving his sons life while giving up his own. Detective Williams was a hero on so many levels.

Susan was only seventeen years old and a senior in high school at the time of this incident. Susan's book "The Other Side of the Gun" was born out of Susan’s journey through the trauma she experienced with the death of her father. She wrote it to heal herself and help others heal through her words and experiences. 

Thank you, Susan, for sharing your story with us so we can better understand and appreciate the heroes and their families who have had to endure these types of tragedies. 

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      The murder of LAPD Detective Thomas C. Williams on October 31, 1985.

·      How she was forgotten due to the attention that was focused on her brother and mother. 

·      Finally realizing that her father was killed in a contract hit because he was a LAPD detective. 

·      Having a father who was a LAPD detective and trying to be a normal teenager.

·      Her grief process and negative experience with her therapist.

·      Lunch with a nun.

·      Discovering she had PTSD and how she coped with this diagnosis.

·      How Susan navigated having a mom with a drinking problem, getting through her senior year of high school, and processing her father’s murder.

Visit Susan's website to learn more about her and her book.

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

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It’s been a while since I recorded a question-and-answer episode, so that is what we are doing today. A very special thank you to the members of the Cops and Writers Facebook group for the questions.

I was lucky enough to get back up from my friend and fellow author, retired Chicago Police Department Detective Lieutenant, Richard Rybicki.

The good lieutenant served for over 29 years on the Chicago Police Department where he worked as a Patrol Officer, Tactical Officer, Gang Crimes Specialist, Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, and Detective Lieutenant. His last assignment was as the Lieutenant/commanding officer of the Area Three Homicide/Sex/Gang Crimes unit.

In today’s episode we discuss:

·      Rick’s newest book series that is in development that has a very interesting plot twist! 

·      Funny and disturbing Thanksgiving stories from the street.

·      Alex Wilson asks; My story is a fictional murder in the UK.  

Would a pathologist or similar ever go to see a body at the crime scene, to advise on the probable cause of death, possible weapons used etc, or would this only happen later at the postmortem?

·      Sharon Reichs asks; How did you keep from killing a supervisor with all the liberal bullshit they spew as directives? (Not that I have an opinion or anything).

·      Katherine Kovacic asks; What do you consider your best case and why? [Unrelated second question] Is there something you know now that you wish you knew then (specifically relating to policing!) and if so, what impact would that have had?

·      Rose Bingham asks, Present day Chicago. A victim found strangled in the rain. Some paper found under her coat (that the killer would've handled) that didn't get wet had fingerprints on it (do-able?). Security camera at night had shown 2 separate people at the scene. I have the detective reviewing the footage but needs to have it blown up and possibly made a bit clearer. Who would be the people working on the footage?

·      Lisa Messegee asks,California, present day, Is a detective required to attend the autopsy for a homicide victim? Would they want to, if it's not required? Could they delegate to a crime scene investigator?

Visit Richard's author page on Amazon.
Check out the Sam Laska Crime Thriller page on Facebook.
Visit Richard at his website!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!
Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!
Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.
Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Support the show