THE MARLON MARRACHE SHOW

Dive into a raw, revealing conversation as Marlon Marrache, host of the IA GUY: A Police Podcast, invites co-hosts Marc and Nick of the Roll Call Room Podcast to talk shop.

Together, they pull back the curtain on the realities of Internal Affairs investigations, mental health struggles, and the culture of silence within police departments.

Marc and Nick share unfiltered stories of resilience, controversy, and the fight for transparency in modern policing.

#policeforce #copstories #cops #lawenforcement #crime #policeofficer #internalaffairs #police #podcast #lapd #deputy

Marlon's Info:

Website: https://www.bluconsultinginc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaguypodcast/?hl=en

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlon-marrache/

Marc & Nick's Info:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rollcallroompodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rollcallroompodcast/

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introductions

06:00 Mark & Nick’s Journeys

15:00 Internal Affairs Exposed

26:00 Mental Health & Fallout

40:00 Lessons & Advice

49:00 Closing Thoughts

EPISODE

In this gripping special episode of The IA Guy A Police Podcast, host Marlon Marrache reunites with LAPD Historian Peter Harris—post-HR 218 qualification in Tennessee—for a deep dive into the Board of Rights' origins.

Born as 1916 "Trial Boards" amid brutality scandals, power struggles, and Prohibition-era station orgies, it evolved through abolitions, charter amendments, and reforms under chiefs like August Vollmer and James Davis. Marlon and Peter Harris, drawing from Internal Affairs prosecutions and *The LAPD Badge*, debate its controversies: fair safeguard or biased rubber stamp?

Uncover a century of tension between discipline and due process. Tune in for LAPD insiders and history buff and let us reflect in this rich history!

#policeforce #copstories #cops #lawenforcement #crime #policeofficer #internalaffairs #police #podcast #lapd #deputy

Marlon's Info:

Website: https://www.bluconsultinginc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaguypodcast/?hl=en

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlon-marrache/

Peter's Info:

https://www.facebook.com/peter.harris.357

Time Stamp:

0:00 Intro & Board Pathways

4:00 1916 Origins

9:00 1920s Scandals

14:00 1925-28 Shakeups

20:00 1929-35 Codification

25:00 1939-49 Reforms

30:00 1953+ Debates

35:00 Pros, Cons & Stats

42:00 Close

Buckle up for an unfiltered dive into the raw underbelly of policing with host Marlon Marrache and guest John Donchig—a former English lit whiz who traded poetry slams for patrol cars in 2006.

From dissecting Of Mice and Men's chilling foreshadowing to facing real-life "bullet for a buck" doubts in the academy, John spills on the cognitive dissonance of swapping chalkboards for handcuffs.

We unpack the gut-wrenching evolution of Internal Affairs: from witch-hunt isolation to lifeline support, why "punishment is the process," and how IA trauma deserves a spot in mental wellness talks. Hear insider scoops on CALFIA's push for "better training = better policing," the seismic shifts in AB 392 and Penal Code 835a (RIP to the old three-sentence rubber stamp), and why small agencies need playbooks for hospitalized suspects—not in-house cover-ups.

Plus, heart-stoppers like the baby-not-breathing call that haunts forever, and John's golden nugget: "What got you here won't get you there—stay curious or crash." If you're eyeing the badge, craving cop wisdom, or just love a Capricorn's Poe-fueled grit, this is your siren call.

Tune in, stay safe, and remember: You're a human first, cop second!

EPISODE 1 1

A union journeyman plumber loses his father suddenly, witnesses how deputies handle the call, and decides that night to become a police officer.

Over the next 31 years he rises through LAPD’s most demanding units (Metro Division and Special Investigation Section), sees the Rampart scandal from the inside, receives the devastating call about Randy Simmons, and retires at the absolute top tier of the department.

Now, for the first time, he speaks candidly: the real punishment is rarely the penalty itself — it’s the years-long Internal Affairs process that can destroy marriages, finances, reputations, and careers even when the officer is completely exonerated.

Calm, measured, and brutally honest from a respected career-long operator who lived every side of it.

#policeforce #copstories #cops #lawenforcement #crime #policeofficer #internalaffairs #police #podcast #lapd #deputy

Marlon's Info:

Website: https://www.bluconsultinginc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaguypodcast/?hl=en

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlon-marrache/

Mark's Info:

Website: https://flashbang-apparel.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flashbang_mark/?hl=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flashbang_industries/?hl=en

Time Stamp:

0:00 Plumber to Cop

9:00 Dad Dies → Badge

18:00 Rampart Lies

28:00 Process = Punishment

40:00 SIS Truth

52:00 Randy Call + Walked Away

58:00 Final Advice

Retired Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama (former Oklahoma City PD Deputy Chief) joins Host Marlon Marrache on The IA Guy A Police Podcast for a candid conversation that goes far beyond IA horror stories.

From growing up in Texas, surviving Oklahoma’s tornado culture, and rising through the ranks, Chief Balderrama shares the agonizing reality of adjudicating terminations, why he overturned six recommended firings (and which ones came back to haunt him), the alcohol crisis in law enforcement, and why the hardest part of being chief wasn’t gang sweeps — it was deciding someone’s career and family’s future.

A rare chief’s perspective on fairness, second chances, the stigma of Internal Affairs, and what aspiring cops need to hear before they pin on the badge. Raw, honest, and deeply human.

#policeforce #copstories #cops #lawenforcement #crime #policeofficer #internalaffairs #police #podcast #lapd #deputy

Marlon's Info:

Website: https://www.bluconsultinginc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaguypodcast/?hl=en

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlon-marrache/

Paco's Info:

Website: https://www.chiefpaco.com/

Website: https://elmatadorconsulting.com/

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paco-balderrama-2779ab104/

Time Stamps:

01:10 Tornado Alley Stories

04:20 Why Internal Affairs is Always Taboo

06:30 The 6 Terminations He Overturned

11:15 Firing Cops Kept Me Awake

19:20 Academy Lies About IA

42:30 Saved a 30-Year SWAT Vet

57:30 Worst Call: Man Dies in His Arms

1:05:50 Final Advice

In a powerful and candid conversation, 25-year FBI veteran Chris Piehota joins host Marlon to pull back the curtain on the Bureau’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

He reveals how the investigative process itself has quietly become the primary form of discipline, how minor, good-faith errors can trigger months of professional isolation and uncertainty, and how a post-9/11 shift toward zero-tolerance and risk aversion has left agents hesitant to take initiative.

Drawing from his own experience with an inadvertent over-collection case that spiraled into an OPR ordeal, Piehota contrasts today’s climate with the supportive “old-school” leadership that once protected agents while still holding them accountable.

This unflinching discussion sheds light on why many seasoned agents now retire disillusioned and what must change to restore morale, trust, and effectiveness inside America’s premier law enforcement agency.

A must-listen for every federal, state, and local law enforcement professional.

#policeforce #copstories #cops #lawenforcement #crime #policeofficer #internalaffairs #police #podcast #lapd #deputy

Marlon's Info:

Website: https://www.bluconsultinginc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaguypodcast/?hl=en

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlon-marrache/

Chris Piehota's Info:

Website: https://www.yf5solutions.com/home

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispiehota/

Book: https://a.co/d/i0DXyNy

X: https://x.com/chrispiehota?s=20

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@UCiRwtDsuGIi6Q7XTArR4sEg

Time Stamp:

1:05 Internal Affairs Stigma

3:40 The Process Is The Punishment

6:15 Over-Collection Nightmare

13:50 Zero-Tolerance Kills Initiative

19:30 Agents Retiring Broken

23:20 One Change Chris Would Make

28:45 Post-9/11 Culture Shift

33:10 9/11 from Newark

37:55 Final Advice

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman—author of On Combant—returns to The Internal Affairs A Police Podcast with host Marlon Marrache. Building on our ongoing talks about the real role of Internal Affairs, Grossman exposes sleep deprivation as the force’s deadliest blind spot.

Grossman hands over the playbook: 1)Seven hours minimum: enforce it 2) Pitch-black sleep: grab a mask 3) Caffeine cutoff at noon: no debate 4) One full cycle before any OIS interview.

Under fire, the mind fractures. Tunnel vision. Blackouts. One in five officers swears to scenes that never existed. Body-cam review comes first. Skip it, and Internal Affairs risks false narratives and broken trust!

When exhaustion triggers failure, the chain of command answers—not the officer.

“More officers die by suicide than bullets."

#policeforce #copstories #cops #lawenforcement #crime #policeofficer #internalaffairs #police #podcast #lapd #deputy

Marlon's Info:

Website: https://www.bluconsultinginc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaguypodcast/?hl=en

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlon-marrache/

Lt Colonel Grossman's Info:

Website: https://grossmanontruth.com/

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lt-col-dave-grossman-55a3304/

Time Stamp:

00:30 Intro & Military Banter

02:15 The Secret Weapon: Sleep in Sports & Military

05:40 Sleep on Duty: Discipline or Disease?

08:30 24 Hours Awake = 0.10 BAC

12:10 Sleep Hacks That Save Lives

16:45 Why IA Gets a Bad Rap

20:00 Perceptual Distortions Under Fire

24:30 Bodycam Before Statement – Justice for All

28:50 Hold the Chain of Command Accountable

32:15 On Combat: The Book That Prepares Warriors

37:00 Final Charge: Stay in the Fight

39:30 Outro & Resources

Retired California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Dr. Jonni Reddick joins the Internal Affairs A Police Podcast for a powerful, candid conversation.

From her first bitter encounter with IA as a young female officer to losing an officer under her command in the line of duty, Dr. Reddick shares the raw realities of discipline, leadership failures, and the human cost of the badge.

Now a doctoral-educated author, professor, and consultant, she discusses her memoir “Black, White and Blues: Surviving the Sifting,” the urgent need for people-centric leadership, and why law enforcement remains one of the most transferable and noble careers—if you’re willing to grow through the pain.

#policeforce #copstories #cops #lawenforcement #crime #policeofficer #internalaffairs #police #podcast #lapd #deputy

Marlon's Info:

Website: https://www.bluconsultinginc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaguypodcast/?hl=en

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlon-marrache/

Jonni's Info:

Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonniredick/

Book: https://a.co/d/hUX0qOM

Website: https://leadershiphubtraininginstitute.org/

Time Stamps:

01:00 From Single Mom to Doctorate

06:30 First IA nightmare

10:40 The IA Process

14:00 Being a Woman In Policing

24:00 The Punishment Is The Process

29:30 Leadership Hypocrisy

38:20 Worst Incident In Career

48:00 The Book: Black, White & Blues

53:30 2025 Mission: Leadership Hub Nonprofit

56:00 Final Advice For Future Cops