LEO Round Table with Chip DeBlock

S11E106, LRT Arrives At The PLECET Conference In Dallas With A Few Friends

Live from the PLEASANT Conference: Training, Community Trust, and the Future of Law Enforcement

Chip DeBlock Opens LEO Roundtable from Dallas

In this episode of LEO Roundtable, host Chip DeBlock broadcasts live from the PLEASANT Conference in Dallas, Texas. He explains that the show may sound different because the team is on location with foot traffic, background noise, and conference activity happening around them. Chip introduces co-host Captain Brett Bartlett, sponsor and guest Jeff Nicholas of Compliant Technologies, and Sergeant Corlea Moore of the Brookhaven Police Department in Georgia, who works in community engagement. The episode is less of a standard news breakdown and more of a live conference discussion about law enforcement, training, community relations, leadership, and non-lethal technology.

The PLEASANT Conference and National Law-Enforcement Leaders

The panel discusses the importance of the PLEASANT Conference and the major law-enforcement figures scheduled to speak. They mention hearing from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and look ahead to appearances by FBI Director Kash Patel, the heads of the ATF, DEA, and U.S. Marshals Service, and other major federal leaders. The panel notes how unusual and significant it is for a relatively new event to attract so many high-level law-enforcement officials, framing the conference as evidence that community engagement and police training are becoming national priorities.

Community Trust, Respect, and Faith-Based Outreach

Captain Brett Bartlett reflects on the conference’s message that policing and community purpose must be brought closer together. He says law enforcement needs to close the gap between police work and community trust, and he suggests that this kind of training should begin in the academy rather than being treated as a special-unit function. The panel also discusses the faith-based component of the conference, including initiatives such as Faith & Blue, and the idea that changing hearts can change outcomes. The conversation presents law enforcement as both an enforcement role and a human endeavor built on respect, relationships, and service.

What Law Enforcement Does Best

When asked what law enforcement does best, Sergeant Corlea Moore says officers share a common mission: protecting communities, helping people, and making sure everyone can go home safely. She explains that many recruits enter policing because they want to help people and create change in their communities. For Corlea, one of law enforcement’s greatest strengths is that officers across agencies and regions often share the same core mission of protection, service, and community safety.

Training as the Key Area for Improvement

The panel agrees that training is one of the greatest areas where law enforcement can improve. Corlea emphasizes the need for leadership training, tactical training, and practical preparation for real-world situations. Brett argues that patrol officers are the most powerful tools an agency has, because they know their zones, their people, and their communities. The group stresses that community engagement should not be left only to specialized units; patrol officers should be trained from the beginning to know people, open doors, communicate effectively, and handle situations before force becomes necessary.

Media, Public Perception, and Telling the Police Story

Jeff Nicholas argues that one of law enforcement’s biggest challenges is the way media coverage can create discouragement, division, misinformation, and demonization of officers. The group says negative or incomplete coverage can make policing look far more violent and chaotic than most officer-citizen interactions actually are. Corlea responds that agencies cannot fully control the media, but they can control how they tell their own stories. She describes how Brookhaven Police Department uses transparency, social media, YouTube, body-camera footage, drone footage, and community relationships to help residents understand what officers are actually doing.

Confidence, De-Escalation, and Command Presence

Jeff Nicholas says one of the best de-escalation tools on the street is not a product, but a confident, well-trained officer. He argues that officers who understand policy, law, equipment, and themselves are better able to command a situation, communicate clearly, and prevent unnecessary escalation. Corlea adds that articulation is a major challenge for some officers, especially when they do not fully understand policy or law. The panel connects these issues back to training, emphasizing that poor training or lack of training often leads to mistakes, discipline problems, and weak case outcomes.

Leadership, Retention, and Agency Culture

The discussion also highlights the importance of leadership and command climate. The panel says officers make better decisions when they know supervisors and agency leaders will support them if they act in good faith. Jeff argues that leadership support reduces stress and helps officers communicate and perform better. Corlea says officers should be trained and mentored at every level, from rookie to supervisor to command staff, so each person is preparing the next generation. The group agrees that training needs to be valued at the highest levels of an agency, not buried under layers of administration.

Compliant Technologies and the Glove

A major sponsor discussion focuses on Compliant Technologies and its flagship product, the Glove, which uses conductive distraction and de-escalation device technology. Jeff Nicholas explains that the product is designed to help officers gain control quickly in a humane, low-optics way, potentially stopping a fight in seconds and reducing injuries, viral violent videos, lawsuits, workers’ compensation claims, and officer stress. He says the company’s mission fits the PLEASANT Conference because both are focused on safer streets, safer officers, better community relations, and less violent outcomes.

Sergeant Corlea Moore’s Closing Message

Near the end, Sergeant Corlea Moore encourages listeners not to base their entire view of police on what they see on television. She urges people to get to know their local police departments, attend a Citizens Police Academy if one is available, and learn firsthand what officers do and how community members can help. Chip asks how people can find her, and she points listeners to LinkedIn and the Brookhaven Police Department in Georgia. The episode closes with thanks to the sponsors, acknowledgment of the conference setting, and a preview that the next show will follow Kash Patel’s address.