The Madison Police Department Podcast

By Madison City Channel

What's The Madison Police Department Podcast about?

The Madison Police Department is recognized nationally and internationally as one of the leaders in community-based policing where officers are all recognized as leaders and encouraged to be problem-solving guardians. In these podcasts the chief talks about policing the Madison way while addressing topical issues.

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The Madison Police Department Podcast episodes:

04.09.2021
Chief's Corner - Episode 1 - Chief Barnes Update
In this previously recorded first episode of Chief's Corner, Chief Barnes sits down with Public Information Officer Tyler Grigg to share recent updates on his focus for community engagement, crime prevention and officer wellness. Did you know nearly 85% of...
02.01.2021
A New Vision for MPD’s Future
Listen in as we mark a moment of transition for the Madison community and the MPD. After a year-long hiring process, Chief Shon Barnes becomes the 30th chief of police for the city of Madison. In this podcast, Chief Barnes...
12.17.2020
MPD names new PIO As Chief Wahl reflects on an unparalleled year
Following a nationwide search, the Madison Police Department found the best candidate to take over the public information office close to home. Really close to home. Tyler Grigg is currently a police officer with the MPD, and in a sense,...
11.16.2020
Time to say goodbye/MPD’s Public Information Officer readies for retirement
After more than 13 years, and four police chiefs, MPD PIO Joel DeSpain has decided to call it a career at the end of the year. In the podcast, Chief Victor Wahl turns the tables, acting DeSpain about the trials...
11.02.2020
Madison’s next police chief/an insider’s perspective
The MPD will be getting a new police chief, possibly by the end of the year, and the selection process turns out to be very unique in Wisconsin. On the podcast, Acting Chief Victor Wahl provides insight into how state...
10.19.2020
Pending budget cuts and public safety
The Madison Police Department, for decades, has been looked at as one of the best in the country with highly-trained officers committed to community-based and problem-solving policing. However, in the face of very tight budgets, and calls by some to...
10.08.2020
Civil Unrest Investigation
The MPD is one of the first departments in the country to ask for an outside group to examine and review its response to recent protests. The MPD has come under scrutiny from critics about its handling of this year’s...
03.16.2020
All about the Money
Presidential candidates, homicides, protests, will all impact the MPD’s bottom-line this year. As they do so at a time when money is needed for more police officers, if the MPD is to provide the same level of service expected by...
03.02.2020
MPD Cadets
At a time when those applying to be police officers is on the decline nationally, the MPD is bucking the trend. Numbers of applicants are up this year, with many indicating they are applying nowhere else. Some got in the...
02.17.2020
A MARI Success Story
When two Madison Police officers showed up in her hospital room, a woman who had just overdosed on heroin, thought she was likely going to jail. Instead, the officers offered her an opportunity that helped change her life. Now Shawn...
02.03.2020
Teen Car Theives: A Disturbing Trend
It is one of the most prolific crime problems plaguing the greater Madison area, and finding ways to deter young burglars and car thieves has proven elusive. In this podcast a veteran officer Scott Favour, who is assigned to the MPD’s...
01.21.2020
The ever changing and challenging world of digital forensics
In terms of cracking cases - from misdemeanors to homicides - it is an incredibly valuable tool, one that has taken on even greater importance in the past decade, particularly when it comes to the plethora of data and clues...
01.06.2020
Saying thanks to some important guardians
Wisconsin’s Adult Crossing Guard Recognition Week In the dead of winter, they are bundled up, standing on busy streets shepherding some of our most valued community members: our children. This week is Adult Crossing Guard Recognition Week in Wisconsin. ...
12.23.2019
Quality of Madison policing at a crossroads?
In the final Madison Police Department podcast of 2019, Acting Chief Vic Wahl joins Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain for a frank and honest discussion about current staffing levels at the MPD. Chief Wahl provides insights about how a patrol...
12.09.2019
Winter Parking
There are new parking orders in place for this winter, and rules could be changing even more dramatically in the future. Madison is a beautiful city, situated between lakes, but the geography produces parking challenges that are very unique, particularly...
11.25.2019
MPD’s Mounted Unit: Breaking down barriers, finding the lost, managing crowds
Officer Ken Mulry would have already retired had it not been for an opportunity to jump in the saddle. Now he’s still enjoying the ride, protecting and serving the Madison community. After a fledgling start, Madison’s Mounted Unit is now a...
11.11.2019
Madison’s gang culture and how MPD is helping redirect young lives
Sometimes it’s hard to find statistics to support some of the most important police work taking place in Madison. When a dedicated and caring gang officer helps turn a life around, and that teen goes on – not to commit...
10.28.2019
Chief Koval’s legacy, and a new vision for MPD’s future
He spent 35 years helping the MPD move forward as a national model of community-based, problem-solving policing. Along the way, Chief Mike Koval either recruited or hired the majority of the dedicated men and women who proudly help keep Madison...
10.14.2019
From drugs, to guns, to car bumpers, to lasagna, to a butter churner
In this podcast listeners are getting a peak behind the multiple curtains that make up the MPD’s Property Rooms. Currently specially trained guardians are overseeing some 125,000 pieces of property and evidence, and they are quickly running out of space....
09.30.2019
MPD connects with young teen through relationship building and restorative justice
The MPD is finding new and exciting ways to connect with the city’s young people, breaking down barriers with police through youth academies and other programming. Officers are also providing many who stray from the justice the opportunity to participate...
09.16.2019
SWAT Responses
It is a specially-trained team whose members pride themselves on being able to resolve high-risk calls without injury to suspects, citizens or police officers. In this podcast, SWAT Captain Jason Freedman talks about the types of calls that necessitate a...
09.03.2019
Back to School Special
In our back to school special we talk about the safety of children getting to and from school, everything from prevention to enforcement. Crossing Guard Supervisor Patti Knoche, Parking Enforcement Supervisor Stefanie Niesen, and Motor Unit Officers Richard Wipperfurth and...
08.26.2019
Violent Crime Unit
The MPD is having success in rounding up violent criminals and bringing them to justice, and one of the reasons for it is VCU. The Violent Crime Unit was established by Chief Koval several years ago. Results were so good,...
08.12.2019
Recruiting Sgt. Kipp Hartman
The MPD is in the process of hiring a new class of recruits, and despite national trends, the number of applicants applying is going up. In this podcast, Sgt. Kipp Hartman, who heads-up recruiting efforts, talks about how his team...
07.29.2019
K9 Officer Emily House
The Madison Police Department is blessed to have a top-notch non-profit organization – Capital K9’s – supporting our K9 Unit – now eight dogs strong! In addition, many animal-loving community members have made very generous donations for the purchase of...
07.15.2019
CampHERO
Now in it's 8th year, CampHERO teaches girls courage, character, and confidence, as well as the protective services of EMS, Fire, and Police. Girl Scout and Captain Jennifer Krueger Favour joins us to talk about this fantastic program. It fills...
07.01.2019
Parking 411
Parking Enforcement Officer is apparently a coveted position! Stefanie Nieson joins us to talk about the unit and some of the most common reasons people get tickets.
06.17.2019
A national leader, MPD’s Mental Health Team
Specially trained officers and embedded mental health professionals are keeping more people out of the criminal justice system and getting them connected to resources for the help they need. In the process they are peacefully resolving situations, saving lives, helping...
06.03.2019
Breaking down barriers, building young leaders
Madison Police officers will be building stronger bonds with area young people this summer through youth academies, soccer programs and other activities designed to build leaders while breaking down barriers between youth and police. In this podcast Community Outreach Captain...
05.20.2019
MPD’s new recruit class a record breaker
MPD’s training team is gearing up for some real challenges as at least 50 new police recruits will soon be sworn in to protect and serve the Madison community. This will be the largest recruit class in MPD history. On...
05.06.2019
Taking it on the road: MPD implicit bias training
The MPD has been leading the nation in teaching officers about implicit biases since 2011. Now the Departments’ subject matter experts are taking these educational efforts out into the community. Their workshops are creating stronger neighborhoods where residents trust...
04.30.2019
MPD implicit bias team making a real difference
It is something the MPD took a national lead on years ago. Now a group of Madison Police officers, all subject matter experts in implicit bias training, have formed a team and are leading efforts to educate many, both inside...
04.15.2019
Amigos en Azul
At a time in America where some in the Latino community are feeling somewhat uneasy, here in Madison all are finding they have good friends in the law enforcement community. In this podcast, members of the our Amigos en Azul...
04.01.2019
Dedication with a smile
MPD’s adult crossing guard program Some have been honored for saving children’s lives, others have escorted the same students from kindergarten through high school graduation, and are revered and loved by countless families. In this podcast, MPD’s crossing guard supervisors...
03.19.2019
Coffee with a Cop
Community engagement is a top priority for MPD officers. In this podcast North District Neighborhood Resource Officer David Dexheimer talks about the very successful Coffee with a Cop program, as well as other ways he and others are building stronger...
03.04.2019
A peak behind the Professional Standards and Internal Affairs curtain
In this podcast we venture into a sometimes secret area of the MPD: Professional Standards and Internal Affairs. While members of the public can file complaints against officers, it is also the case that a large share of investigations are...
02.18.2019
Helping officers, saving lives through MPD’s Peer Support Program
There is no doubt about it, says MPD Captain Brian Chaney Austin, MPD’s innovative Peer Support Program has definitely saved officers lives, and assisted many in coping with stresses and health-related issues that often come with seeing things that can...
02.04.2019
Madisonians band together through Good Neighbor Project
It’s a throwback really, to the way life used to be: neighbor helping neighbor, knowing those who live on your block, pitching in when anyone needed assistance. The MPD is helping restore that strong sense of community through the Good...
01.21.2019
“Battle of the Badges” promises family fun while helping heroin addicts
If you see looks of worry on faces of Madison firefighters, it is for good reason! The “Mad City Police” hockey team is sporting a winning confidence this season in the run-up to the annual charity classic: “Battle of the...
01.07.2019
On the Cutting Edge of Policing: Medic Platoon now part of MPD’s Special Events Team
Madison’s Special Events Team (SET) is regarded as one of the best crowd management police units in the nation. Now SET is setting a new standard in protecting people through a specially trained medic platoon. On this podcast Officer Lars...
12.24.2018
Finding common ground
The police union and MPD management forge strong bonds and a common vision They both want body worn cameras and more prosecutors for the District Attorney’s office. At the Madison Police Department there is a somewhat unique relationship between command staff...
12.10.2018
Turning lives around
MPD’s Special Investigations Unit recognized as leader in focused deterrence A special team at the MPD looks to identify Madison’s most prolific repeat violent offenders with hopes of turning lives of crime around. The Special Investigations Unit is now seven years...
11.26.2018
Police Officers and Suicide Prevention
It is a subject many in policing have historically not wanted to talk about: suicides among first responders. Officers often see, hear, smell and sometimes even taste things that can be awful and horrendous. Over time this can take a...
11.12.2018
The art of being a SWAT negotiator
Veteran MPD detective provides an insiders perspective What we see on TV crime shows is far from reality. On the podcast veteran detective Justine Harris talks about what really takes place when she is communicating with someone in crisis: many times...
10.29.2018
Monitoring Dane County’s Registered Sex Offenders
Department of Corrections joins forces with MPD If you are wanting to find out about sex offenders living in your neighborhood, it is as easy as accessing the internet and going to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registry. On...
10.16.2018
A daughter’s battle against heroin addiction
A prominent defense attorney provides keen insights following Mollie Van Wagner’s death Following the recent heroin overdose death of his beloved daughter Mollie, prominent defense attorney Chris Van Wagner joins the podcast to talk about what families need to understand about...
10.01.2018
From Columbia to LA to East High
A candid and inspiring conversation with Educational Resource Officer Zulma Franco A small, but very vocal group of people are trying to get police officers out of Madison’s high schools. Yet, if they took the time to get to know Officer...
09.17.2018
Standing for those who have fallen
The Honor Guard is a dedicated group of volunteer officers who serve as formal representatives of the MPD at funerals, special events and other functions. Honor Guard representatives adhere to formal etiquette and wear ceremonial police uniforms. Members attend specialized trainings...
09.04.2018
Community Academy
A few spots remain in upcoming program The Community Academy is a free program designed to give the public a working knowledge and understanding of the values, goals, and operations of the City of Madison Police Department. Consisting of nine sessions...
08.21.2018
MPD Pride
Lt. Brian Chaney Austin, a member of MPD Pride, joins the podcast for a candid talk on how the Madison Police Department’s authorization to march in the recent Pride Parade was revoked. Lt. Chaney Austin says this was personally hurtful...

What's The Madison Police Department Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Madison Police Department Podcast episodes:

Chief's Corner - Episode 1 - Chief Barnes Update

A New Vision for MPD’s Future

MPD names new PIO As Chief Wahl reflects on an unparalleled year

Time to say goodbye/MPD’s Public Information Officer readies for retirement

Madison’s next police chief/an insider’s perspective

Pending budget cuts and public safety

Civil Unrest Investigation

All about the Money

MPD Cadets

A MARI Success Story

Teen Car Theives: A Disturbing Trend

The ever changing and challenging world of digital forensics

Saying thanks to some important guardians

Quality of Madison policing at a crossroads?

Winter Parking

MPD’s Mounted Unit: Breaking down barriers, finding the lost, managing crowds

Madison’s gang culture and how MPD is helping redirect young lives

Chief Koval’s legacy, and a new vision for MPD’s future

From drugs, to guns, to car bumpers, to lasagna, to a butter churner

MPD connects with young teen through relationship building and restorative justice

SWAT Responses

Back to School Special

Violent Crime Unit

Recruiting Sgt. Kipp Hartman

K9 Officer Emily House

CampHERO

Parking 411

A national leader, MPD’s Mental Health Team

Breaking down barriers, building young leaders

MPD’s new recruit class a record breaker

Taking it on the road: MPD implicit bias training

MPD implicit bias team making a real difference

Amigos en Azul

Dedication with a smile

Coffee with a Cop

A peak behind the Professional Standards and Internal Affairs curtain

Helping officers, saving lives through MPD’s Peer Support Program

Madisonians band together through Good Neighbor Project

“Battle of the Badges” promises family fun while helping heroin addicts

On the Cutting Edge of Policing: Medic Platoon now part of MPD’s Special Events Team

Finding common ground

Turning lives around

Police Officers and Suicide Prevention

The art of being a SWAT negotiator

Monitoring Dane County’s Registered Sex Offenders

A daughter’s battle against heroin addiction

From Columbia to LA to East High

Standing for those who have fallen

Community Academy

MPD Pride