In December 2014, President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing the Task Force on 21st Century Policing. The president charged the task force with identifying best practices and offering recommendations on how policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust. The task force released its final report in May of 2015. In it was what the task force called the “Six Pillars of 21st Century Policing.” In this week’s podcast, Jim and Doug discuss the first pillar — Building Trust and Legitimacy — and in coming weeks will tackle each subsequent pillar in turn.

One need look no further than the comments section beneath just about any article on PoliceOne to see the divide between the rank-and-file officers and the men and women who hold leadership positions at an agency. This divide has been around forever, of course, but the question becomes, is it getting better, or worse? The issue that may be the most contentious is use of force. Jim and Doug discuss what can be done to build stronger, more productive relationships between police leaders and beat cops. Can the National FOP and the IACP rally around an issue like officer safety in this time of increased attacks on police?

As we wind down 2016, we reflect on all of the events and trends which made headlines and shaped the national conversation about law enforcement. In this special end-of-year Policing Matters podcast, Jim and Doug discuss four things they identify as the biggest trends of the year: the increase in the number of opioid deaths (which now exceeds the number of homicide deaths), the number of peaceful protests which turned into violent riots this year, the trend of increased crime in cities where cops are pulling back from proactive policing, and the spike in ambush attacks on LE in 2016. As always, if you have topic suggestions for the podcast, email us at [email protected].

Depending on whose data you cite, somewhere between 125 and 150 officers reportedly kill themselves annually. Conventional wisdom states that the holiday season presents an uptick in the yearly numbers. The CDC says that this is not the case, but regardless, we hope to prevent any suicide from occurring within the holidays. Jim and Doug discuss the need for officers to be vigilant about speech and behaviors that can be warning signs, as well as the various services available to people in crisis — such as Safe Call Now, Serve and Protect, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and 1st Help.

In an historic surprise victory, Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. What can police officers expect from the White House after his inauguration on January 20, 2017? Having already telephoned the families of officers killed in the line of duty, one might rightly surmise that Trump will demonstrate more support for law enforcement than the outgoing Democrat whose two terms saw police and politicians pitted against each other. Jim and Doug discuss whether or not Executive Order 13688 — which prohibits certain military surplus from being donated to police — will be repealed, as well as various impacts a Trump presidency will likely have on the criminal justice system.

The 2016 election will surely be remembered most for the unexpected victory of Donald Trump in the race for the White House, but another potentially game-changing matter was on the ballot in nine states — marijuana legalization. Voters in California, Massachusetts, and Nevada approved recreational marijuana initiatives, joining the 25 states and the District of Columbia which already had laws allowing marijuana for either medical or recreational use. Jim and Doug discuss whether or not 2016 will be viewed in history as the tipping point in nationwide marijuana legalization.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, the number of officers shot and killed in ambush attacks now totals 20 — the highest since 1995. NLEOMF reports that 44 officers have been killed in fatal ambush shootings since 2014. Jim and Doug discuss this troubling trend, and what officers can do to protect themselves from ambush.

There’s no denying that there are private security people who have absolutely no business being in any way involved in law enforcement efforts. However, there are opportunities for sworn law enforcement professionals to develop relationships with the individuals in private security who are diligent about their chosen career, and who can provide excellent information to help prosecute cases. Jim and Doug discuss the ways in which the real cops and the “mall cops” can be better partners in fighting crime.

With a growing number of citizens listening to the Policing Matters podcast, we want to take this opportunity to directly address that segment of the audience. When a police officer stops a person for any reason — a traffic stop, a field interview, or another scenario — the cop wants one thing from the subject: compliance. Jim and Doug discuss what people can do to ensure that whatever the circumstance, everyone goes home safe after the encounter.

In watching the audience of the Policing Matters podcast grow, we have observed that a considerable portion of the people clicking and listening to the show are civilians. We theorize that among this group of listeners are police supporters and people who just want to know more about policing. We also believe there may be individuals who want to become a cop. With this in mind, Jim and Doug discuss the things that folks should (and should not) do as they prepare to join the noble profession.