Vinnie Montez knew he wanted to be a law enforcement officer from a young age. He grew up watching the Ponch and John characters on the CHIPs TV show and loved the way they were pictured interacting with the public in a respectful way. Vinnie joined the law enforcement cadets program as soon as he could and became a deputy in 1998. He has now served over two decades as a Deputy Sheriff with the Boulder County Sheriff’s office. Early [...]
The Hunter Elite; Inside America’s Secret Force Against Terror by Leon Wagener describes the transition of the Secret Service from being a strictly defensive organization to a proactive one. One could be fooled into thinking the book is a work of thriller fiction but it describes real people and situations. Leon says that getting inside the Secret Service was a difficult task. “They take the secret in the title very seriously.” Finally he found two agents willing to talk as [...]
National Police Week is an outgrowth of President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officer’s Memorial Day. Each May tens of thousands law enforcement officers gather in Washington D.C. to recognize the sacrifices and valor of those who wear the badge. In this episode we examine National Police Week through two lenses. Nohemy Hite is a police widow and founder of the Erik Hite Foundation. Dave Bray is a former Navy Corpsman who is now a [...]
“Ernie & Joe; Crisis Cops” is a multiple Award winning HBO documentary that follows two San Antonio police officers and their work to help persons experiencing a mental health crisis. It is estimated that 20-30% of a patrol officers’ call load involves some sort of mental health crisis. Ernie Stevens joins us to share his journey from a “regular” cop to one of our nation’s leading advocates for crisis intervention training for law enforcement officers. His book “Mental Health and [...]
9/11 survivor & FDNY Veteran Tim Brown lost nearly 100 of his friends in the September 11 terrorist attacks, including his two best friends. He has made it his mission to assure that our nation never forgets. Tim is no stranger to the face of terrorism. He responded to the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing and was dispatched to help with the recovery efforts following the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing. But nothing could have prepared him for the events [...]
Irv Brandt’s evolution from a Navy torpedo man to law enforcement was an awkward transition but it worked out. Irv served with the US Marshal Service for more than 20 years. After leaving the Navy, he went to college to study business. After Black Monday no one was hiring business majors, but there were lots of opportunities in Law Enforcement. “I went into law enforcement and it turns out I was really good at it.” As a member of the [...]
“Bridging The Gap”, a new book authored by 26 year law enforcement veteran Glen Williams might be directed at his police comrades but holds learning lessons for all of us. Over the course of his career, Glen suffered through two divorces, numerous traumatic events and developed severe PTSD. "My objective in writing this book was to help others not do the same stupid things that I did. If I can help one person avoid a divorce or PTSD or suicide [...]
Project Sapient Co-Founder Ayman Kafel became a witness to war from his first days on earth. His father was working in Liberia when Ayman was born, but the Liberian civil war forced his family back to their native Lebanon. The Lebanese civil war made them seek a more peaceful life in America. Like many immigrants, Ayman has a deep and abiding love for the US and what this country stands for. So when we were attacked on 9/11 he immediately [...]
John Gilstrap always wanted to write. He penned short stories as a young child and was editor of his high school newspaper. But he was also an adrenaline junky. He regularly watched the television series “Emergency” and took an advanced first aid course in college. The class required a ride along and he was hooked. Upon graduating from college he received his EMT certification and joined the Burke Volunteer Fire Department – the busiest firehouse in Virginia. He says that [...]
Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent Fred Burton spent most of his career focused on counter terrorism. Among his more notable cases, he investigated the assassination of Israeli Prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. He was part of the investigation of the FIRST World Trade Center Bombing and was involved in the arrest of Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind behind that attack. He was also part of a special team set up to locate and free western hostages in Beirut. He is recognized as [...]