Policing Matters

For police officers, access to the right information at the right time is critical. Most operate in a sea of data from across public safety systems — radio dialogue, streaming video from fixed, mobile and body cameras, location data — but it can be hard to identify and analyze what’s most important in the moment. New devices and applications of artificial intelligence are simplifying technology for officers and providing contextual and actionable information that’s personalized for the time, person and place where decisions need to be made. They are further unifying sources of evidence for a more comprehensive timeline of events and more accurate reports.

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, part of a special report from Motorola Solutions Summit 2025, host Jim Dudley sits down with James Felton, Manager of IT Services with the Peel Regional Police in Canada and Jason Hutchens, Area Sales Manager for Software at Motorola Solutions to discuss how the convergence of radio, video and AI can serve as a force multiplier, capturing and synthesizing a greater diversity of data throughout an incident for expedited emergency response and more accurate police reporting.

This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Motorola Solutions.

Bringing 911 intelligence directly into real-time crime centers can help expedite police response when children go missing, retail thefts occur or shots are fired. Advances in technology are making it possible for RTCC analysts to review real-time transcripts and translations of emergency calls, AI-generated call summaries and videos or images from community members. This situational awareness helps officers to better understand what’s happening and shave potentially life-saving seconds from their response to emergencies.

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, part of a special report from Motorola Solutions Summit 2025, host Jim Dudley speaks with Glendale Interim Chief of Police Colby Brandt and Dave Wilson, Retired Assistant Police Chief and Senior Solutions Specialist with Motorola Solutions. They explore how agencies are using technology to expedite the response to community and enterprise-reported 9-1-1 incidents.

This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Motorola Solutions.

In the wake of 2020’s seismic shifts in public perception, police agencies across the country are reevaluating their strategies for preventing crime. While reactive policing still dominates the landscape, there’s growing recognition that proactive strategies — built on research, precision and community engagement — offer a more sustainable path forward. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley sits down with one of the leading voices in evidence-based policing to discuss how officers and agencies can move beyond fear and resistance and toward effective, proactive crime reduction.

Dr. Cynthia Lum is a former Baltimore police officer turned professor of criminology, law and society, and director of George Mason University’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy. A national leader in translating research into practice, Dr. Lum discusses how police can break away from outdated “toolkits” and instead build smarter, more strategic approaches to patrol. She emphasizes that proactive policing isn’t about doing more stops — it’s about doing the right work in the right way, backed by data and shaped by mentoring, organizational support and critical thinking.

This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.

With over 240 million 911 calls made each year, a faster response time to a call can make a consequential difference. Drone as a First Responder programs allow 911 call handlers to immediately dispatch drones in response to emergency calls, streaming video of the scene back to the command center and to officers in the field so that they arrive better prepared. Drones purpose-built for public safety can even deliver various payloads, including medication, defibrillators and other devices.

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, part of a special report from Motorola Solutions Summit 2025, host Jim Dudley sits down with Billy Gessner, Technical Manager for the Real-Time Operations Center at the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Alan Melvin (ret.) North Carolina State Highway Patrol and Industry Team for Motorola Solutions, to learn about the benefits of drone as first responders and advice on implementing the technology.

This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Motorola Solutions.

Paperwork is a necessary reality of police work, but a handful of public safety agencies are introducing innovative new technologies to streamline how this work is done and help maximize the time officers are able to spend on the beat. The Los Angeles Police Department is one of the first major police departments in the U.S. to adopt a mobile-first vision for policing, enabling its officers to perform field work on their phones.

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, part of a special report from Motorola Solutions Summit 2025, host Jim Dudley sits down with Monique Turner, Information Systems Manager with the Los Angeles Police Department, and Dave Wilson, retired assistant police chief and senior solutions specialist with Motorola Solutions to dive into the Los Angeles Police Department’s mobile-first approach and how it’s helping officers spend more time on patrol.

This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Motorola Solutions.

A challenge in emergency response is often the gap between the rapidly evolving event and the information available to authorities. By establishing secure channels for community partners to share vital data including emergency contacts, floor plans and security camera livestreams, authorities are able to gain enhanced real-time visibility. This bridging of information enables more precise and effective interventions that prioritize the safety and well-being of the community.

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, part of a special report from Motorola Solutions Summit 2025, host Jim Dudley sits down with Mike Armitage, the executive director of Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority and Lashinda Stair, retired assistant police chief and current industry team director with Motorola Solutions to discuss how programs that connect law enforcement and community organizations and businesses can help first responders be better informed during emergencies.

This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Motorola Solutions.

Technology alone won’t transform policing — but how you use it will. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley explores the mindset shift that’s helping law enforcement agencies maximize impact: using layered technology, shared intelligence and integrated systems to solve crimes faster and respond more effectively — no matter the department’s size.

He talks with two leaders tackling this issue from very different ends of the policing spectrum: Deputy Chief John McMahon of the Los Angeles Police Department and Chief Brian Bubar of the San Pablo Police Department.

Deputy Chief McMahon brings a big-city perspective, where 4.5 million people and 8,800 officers demand tech-driven efficiency.

Meanwhile, Chief Bubar commands a 62-sworn department covering just 2.6 square miles — but with a history as one of the most violent cities per capita, he’s using layered tech solutions to punch above his weight. Together, they explore how their agencies are using software platforms like Peregrine to unify data, why interoperability is critical to public safety and how real-time intelligence can’t be limited by jurisdictional lines.

Peregrine’s real-time decision and operations management platform empowers law enforcement agencies with the data they need to solve their hardest problems and do their best work. Through advanced data integration technology, Peregrine maximizes the impact of your real-time crime center by centralizing and organizing historical and real-time data, making it readily accessible and actionable in the moments that matter most. Visit peregrine.io to learn how your organization can get started.

Crime statistics are meant to help police departments identify trends, allocate resources and shape effective public safety strategies. But what if the national crime data we rely on — like FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) and NIBRS — is incomplete, outdated or misleading?

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Jeff Asher — CIA-trained crime analyst, former New Orleans Police Department data expert and founder of AH Datalytics — about the challenges with traditional crime data collection and the rise of real-time crime monitoring tools. They discuss why the transition to NIBRS has been slow and inconsistent, and how delays in national reporting limit law enforcement’s ability to respond to crime trends.

Asher, who also publishes the Jeffalytics Substack newsletter, has emerged as a national voice on U.S. crime trends. Drawing from his experience in both federal intelligence and local law enforcement, he explains why agencies need faster, more transparent access to crime data — and how tools like the Realtime Crime Index are filling the gap.

Subscribe to Asher’s Jeffalytics newsletter on Substack for weekly insights into crime statistics, data reliability, and what the numbers really mean.

This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.

Every officer knows traffic is dangerous — but most don't realize how fast everything can change. Bob Bemis didn’t either, until March 27, 2015. Responding to a vehicle fire, he was struck by a swerving car, crushed and left fighting to walk, see and live again. Today, the retired Pennsylvania State Police sergeant is on a mission to change how agencies prepare officers for roadside dangers.

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Bemis and Jack Sullivan, Director of Training at the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, about the

This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

When we talk about officer safety, our minds often go straight to firearms and physical confrontations — but one of the deadliest threats doesn’t come from an armed suspect. It comes from traffic. Every year, roadway incidents rank among the top causes of line-of-duty deaths for law enforcement. And while the risk is constant, many agencies still approach this hazard with outdated training, inconsistent protocols and little coordination across departments.

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley sits down with Jack Sullivan, Director of Training for the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, to discuss the state of roadside safety for law enforcement officers. Sullivan, a veteran in the field of traffic incident management, shares alarming statistics, real-world stories and actionable strategies to reduce risks — from engineering fixes and digital alerting systems to cross-agency coordination.

This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.