The SHIELD Armory

When the SHIELD Armory was being dreamed up by our team, the question was asked: "Do you think any of the Chiefs of the Departments we serve would be willing to sit down with us for an interview some day?"

Guess what....not only did they agree to do it, they were excited about it!

In Week 3 of this series, you will hear from Chief Scott Booth from the Roanoke City Police Department in Roanoke, VA.

During our time with him, we will:

-Learn about who he is.

-Learn what he is passionate about

-Hear about his journey from the Academy to Chief

-Learn what are some of his greatest challenges have been

-Hear about some of his greatest moments.

-And much, much more!!!

Join us now as we sit down with Chief Booth from Roanoke PD.

When the SHIELD Armory was being dreamed up by our team, the question was asked: "Do you think any of the Chiefs of the Departments we serve would be willing to sit down with us for an interview some day?"

Guess what....not only did they agree to do it, they were excited about it!

In Week 2 of this series, you will hear from Chief Fabricio Drumond from the Vinton Police Department in Vinton, VA.

During our time with him, we will:

-Learn about who he is.

-Learn what he is passionate about

-Hear about his journey from the Academy to Chief

-Learn what are some of his greatest challenges have been

-Hear about some of his greatest moments.

-And much, much more!!!

Join us now as we sit down with Chief Drumond from Vinton PD.

When the SHIELD Armory was being dreamed up by our team, the question was asked: "Do you think any of the Chiefs of the Departments we serve would be willing to sit down with us for an interview some day?"

Guess what....not only did they agree to do it, they were excited about it!

Wednesday will not only be the launch of Season 2, but it will also be the first of a 4 week series called, "Meet the Chiefs", where you will have a chance to meet and hear the heart behind the men that lead the Police Departments in the Roanoke Valley.

In Week 1 of this series, you will hear from Chief Michael Poindexter from the Roanoke County Police Department in Roanoke, VA.

During our time with him, we will:

-Learn about who he is.

-Learn what he is passionate about

-Hear about his journey from the Academy to Chief

-Learn what are some of his greatest challenges have been

-Hear about some of his greatest moments.

-And much, much more!!!

Join us now as we sit down with Chief Poindexter from the Roanoke County PD.

This episode is the Season 1 Finale of the SHIELD Armory.

Chaplains Potter, Stephenson & Hughes take a stroll down memory lane talking about some of their favorite moments of Season 1. They also take some time to give a little preview of what's to look forward to in Season 2 that will be coming out very soon.

We are excited to tell you that Season 2 of the SHIELD Armory will be releasing on Wednesday August 6th! We encourage you to take the next 2 months and catch up on anything you might have missed or take a second listen to something that may be an encouragement to you over the summer months.

If you have ideas of things you would like to hear about on the upcoming season, please pass those along to us. You can find us on Socials @ShieldChap, on our Website at www.shieldchap.org, or you can email us below:

Chaplain Darren Potter: [email protected]

Chaplain Gareth Stephenson: [email protected]

Chaplain Adam Hughes: [email protected]

We can't wait to be back with you for some new and fresh episodes in August!

Leadership, by one definition, is the ability to lead and guide a person, or a group of people, to achieve results they never could on their own.

The question is, who sets the pace? Who steps up to lead? Who raises the bar for themselves and others around them? What does it look like for leaders to lead in a way that makes lasting impact?

For years, the world of policing has seen a model of leadership focused specifically on rank and one's ability to obey the orders of those above us. However, could it be that there is more to it than that? Could it be, while rank is still vitally important, that there is a deeper place to lead from? A place where leadership goes beyond the badge...a place where leadership is birthed through connection, conversation and relationships.

On this week's episode, join Chaplains Potter, Stephenson and Hughes as they sit down with Commander Danny Bruch from Roanoke County Police Department to discuss those very questions. Maybe, just maybe, what we will find is, leadership that makes a true difference could look a little different than what we think it looks like.

Parenting...the word alone is loaded! It carries a massive weight and responsibility.

Whether you're already parents or not, trying to prepare to parent, or learning to parent as we go, can be incredibly challenging. That's why we have others to learn from who have already gone through the seasons we are either preparing to go through, or we are going through. That old saying, "it takes a village to raise a child" couldn't be more true.

Join Chaplains Potter, Stephenson and Hughes as they sit down and talk about what it means to parent in today's world. They look at questions such as, "How do our jobs affect our kids? How do we become present parents? What do our kids need?" As three guys in three separate seasons of life when it comes to parenting, listen to what they've learned and how they are still learning as they go.

Jump in now to Season 1 Episode 19, "Parenting: Nailed it....Kinda"

Just a little over a week ago, all 3 of our SHiELD Chaplains had the chance to travel to Washington DC to participate in Police Week 2025.

Since returning home, we've been asked several questions quite frequently, "What is police week? What all did you do while you were there?" These questions haven't come just from people outside of law enforcement but from officers we work with as well.

Chaplains Potter, Stephenson and Hughes sit down and share their experiences from Police Week. Some of those experiences you may expect and others were surprises that we couldn't see coming. Join in on this episode to get a glimpse of a week that is unlike any other.

Last week, we started a 2 week series on confronting the negativity in police work.

This week, in the second episode of the series, we hear directly from a police officer who understands that negativity. He has struggled with it, but he's also someone who has consciously made a decision to move out of that and help lead in a way where others can see that negativity doesn't have to have the final word.

Join Chaplains Potter, Stephenson and Hughes as they sit down around the table, along with a local police officer in the Roanoke valley, for an in-depth look at how negativity doesn't have to be the norm or the end result.

Negativity is known as the easy way to live life. It causes us to always see the bad in life, in the job, in the family, in everything. Unfortunately, negativity is often seen as a culture within the police world. Why is that? Why do so many officers find themselves caught up in so much negativity? Why do things appear so bad?

In this episode, Chaplains Potter, Stephenson and Hughes set out on a discussion to find the root of that negativity, to explore how it effects every relationship we have, and they discuss what it takes to get out of that lifestyle.

This is the first episode in a 2 part series. The second episode (Season 1 Episode 17) will be an interview with a local law enforcement officer about this culture of negativity so make sure to join us back and listen in to what he has to say.

The Police Academy is a rigorous period where recruits are put to the test everyday. As a part of that, they get extensive training in both physical and nutritional health. They keep food journals, meal prep, workout multiple times a day and much more.

But what happens after the academy is over and new officers start on their platoons? Long 12 hour shifts of call after call. How do you stay in shape and keep eating healthy? Those are the questions we ask the Roanoke City Police Academy Wellness Coordinator and Investigator, Anna Volk.

In this episode, Volk shares practical insights in how to develop daily habits of staying healthy on the job and how to take care of oneself while on the job. Join in now and be ready to jot down a few notes as we learn together how to be Fit for Duty!

The SHIELD Armory can be found on all major podcast platforms.