The Beat: A COPS Office Podcast

Dr. RaShall M. Brackney spent 30 years with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police before taking command of the Charlottesville Police Department in Virginia. She arrived in Charlottesville shortly after the Unite the Right rally in the summer of 2017. Her charge, help move a traumatized community past the experience of being invaded by hate. Chief Brackney shares her thoughts, as a leader and African American law enforcement professional, on unifying a diverse community, post-hate.

The Center for Justice Research is housed at Texas Southern University in Houston, which is one of our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). The Center is a research organization devoted to data-driven solutions for an equitable criminal justice system. Howard Henderson, Ph.D. is the Founding Director of the Center, and he joins the Beat to discuss their focus on culturally-responsive, evidence-supported solutions and strategic engagements.

Matthew Horace began his 28-year career with a local law enforcement agency, and concluded it as the Special Agent In-Charge of an Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Office. He is also the author The Black And The Blue, a book that details his experiences serving as an African American Officer and Special Agent in a work environment that was often unaware of, or insensitive to its’ own biases. He joins The Beat to discuss how law enforcement can move beyond an all too frequent disconnect with communities most in need of effective policing, and the participation of law enforcement officers in the January 2021 storming of our nation’s Capitol Building.

Throughout our communities, seniors and individuals with disabilities live alone, and may face challenges that put them at risk, or result in neglect of their basic needs. The Paradise Valley Police Department’s (AZ) You Are Not Alone (YANA) program is an automated, proactive approach that supports these citizens without overburdening department resources. Officer Steven McGhee and Patricia Wagner join the Beat to discuss YANA.

Resilient Minds on the Front Lines is a program developed to support law enforcement and other first responders with tools and knowledge that can help them cope with the stress inherent to a profession requiring self-sacrifice in the name of serving the ‘public good’. During this episode of The Beat, the team behind Resilient Minds discusses techniques and resources available to help first responders continue helping others.

Sheriff, Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office (MA)
President, Major County Sheriffs of America

A career public servant, Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian oversees one of the nation’s oldest law enforcement agencies - the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Koutoujian joins The Beat to share his experiences and lessons learned leading his organization through the height of the coronavirus.

Chief of Patrol Services, New York Police Department

The NYPD’s Patrol Services Bureau is responsible for operations conducted by the majority of the department's uniformed officers. These officers work out of 77 precincts that each serve a population of between 70,000 and 150,000 people. Deputy Chief Pichardo speaks with The Beat about how the Department responded to the Coronavirus, and shares his perspectives on the commitment of NYPD officers.

Leadership is critical to the success of every department. However, perceptions of what constitutes effective leadership can vary depending on when and where officers enter the profession. Chief Joel Shults (Ret.) joins The Beat to provide insight gained during his 30-year career about successful police leadership.

In this episode of The Beat, Sheila Gunderman and Evan Mishler from the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) discuss the training resources offered through the COPS Office’s Training Portal. The Portal is a no-cost resource for entire departments, academies, and individual officers to access a high-quality, interactive e-Learning curriculum.

The Madison (WI) Police Department’s Building Personal Resilience project was developed in coordination with the University of Iowa’s College of Nursing and focuses on helping officers dissipate stress and effectively self-regulate as they endure the rigors of the job. Captain Mary Schauf (ret.) and Sandra Ramey, PhD, RN, join The Beat to share Madison’s experience.