On Being a Police Officer

Ep. 21 What is it like to be an officer involved in a deadly force incident? This is the subject of a powerful documentary, “Officer Involved” by filmmaker and former police officer Patrick Shaver. Over several years, Patrick interviewed officers from around the country about their incident and the emotional toll it took on them. He also interviews experts on the subject. We are painfully aware of the tragedy surrounding deadly use of force on those lost and their loved ones. This film and my conversation with Patrick shed light on the part of the story that is rarely discussed: what happens after the trigger is pulled – to the officer. As always, my goal is to tell the stories of law enforcement that don’t get told, to help us all better understand what the job really is, that there are human beings behind that badge, and to show the complexity of what it means to be a police officer.

We also touch on Patrick's second film "Dinkheller" about Deputy Kyle Dinkheller who paid with his life during a traffic stop, the dash cam video of which has been used in academy training for law enforcement officers. Patrick's film gives us a more complete picture of who this young man was.

You can learn more about Patrick's work on his website: http://www.officerinvolvedproject.com. You also can purchase DVD copies of his films, the proceeds of which help fund his work. 

Ep. 19 With the dramatic increase in attacks on Asian Americans, I turn to Det. Beth Wareing who investigates bias and hate crimes for the Seattle Police Department. I ask: What is a hate crime? How is it investigated? What are the challenges?  We discuss not only the increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans, but also in other categories like homeless, Black and Brown, and LGBTQ communities. This is not an interview about statistics. This is about people – the people who suffer these assaults – and the people who are committed to investigating them. Det. Wareing reinforces the importance of patrol and their ability to respond quickly when an assault has happened. She shares her concern over officer wellness in these trying times. We talk about why she became a police officer, what the rewards are, and her vision for what the future of law enforcement will look like.

©Abby Ellsworth Productions.  All interviews, editing, production by Abby Ellsworth. Contact me at abby@ellsworthproductions.com if you'd like to be on the podcast or to share your thoughts.  Please subscribe/follow on your favorite podcast platform and feel free to leave a review.  You can find me on Facebook OnBeingaPoliceOfficer, Twitter @AbbyEllsworth13 and Instagram on_being_a_police_officer. Music courtesy of freesound.org. Thanks for listening. 

Ep. 17 In Part 2 of my interview with this sergeant in the Pacific NW, we tackle the subject of deadly use of force and when it is necessary. We examine often-asked questions citizens have about these encounters. We then turn to how LE is a true family and the rewards of the job. As she describes, her best days on patrol were when people thanked her at the end of the contact, often after she had to arrest them. She talks about the citizens she remembers, and how sharing a little about herself and listening to people goes a long way toward showing her "human side," the person in the uniform, to build two-way communication and understanding. 

Ep. 16 Part 1 of 2. A sergeant with 20 years on a mid-sized agency in the Pacific NW explains she never considered becoming a police officer because of the unfavorable view she had of law enforcement growing up. We talk about what changed her mind and why a career as an LEO means so much to her especially, as she explains, as a woman of color being able to represent the underrepresented. We discuss how the area she grew up in, which was known for gang violence, and her first job as a counselor for incarcerated youth helped inform her work. We also talk about her reaction to the killing of George Floyd. Our interview took place prior to the Derek Chauvin trial and our conversation and reactions are based on the incident as it was portrayed in the news when it happened. We also discuss what it’s like being a police officer during these difficult times for law enforcement. In Part 2, we get to talk about the rewards of the job.

Ep. 15 Former Seattle Police Officer Part 3 of 3. Riots. Rewards. Resignation. Today I complete a series of three interviews with a former Seattle police officer who was with the department for 14 years. We talk about working the protests and riots over the summer, in particular holding the line at the SPD’s East Precinct the closure of which made national news. The officer discusses watching legitimate protests overrun by those bent on destruction and harming officers. We talk about the inability to police effectively and hold those committing crimes accountable due to changes in filing standards and failure to press charges, changes that have forced this officer to make the difficult decision to leave the Seattle Police Department. And even with all that has happened, he reflects on what the rewards have been.

Ep. 13. Part one of three – Saving Lives. This is the first in a three-part series with a former Seattle Police Officer who recently left the department after 14 years. First, in this part, we look back at the great work this officer did with the Seattle Police Department. We start with his response to the shooting in March 2019 of Metro Bus Driver Eric Stark whose story of heroism is featured in EP. 8. Eric credits two SPD officers with saving his life. This is one of those officers.

We then talk about this officer’s work on SPD’s Crisis Intervention Team which works with Mental Health Professionals (MHPs) to respond to incidents of persons in mental crisis. This is the co-responder model that I’ve discussed previously in this podcast. This officer’s stories illustrate the lengths SPD goes to to help people get treatment and into programs as an alternative to incarceration.

Later in this three-part series, we revisit the summer of 2020 during which this officer worked the front lines of the riots, riots that continue in many markets; and we discuss his decision to leave SPD, a department he had hoped to stay with until retirement. Each part of the series will air one week apart. 

Booking, interviews, pre- and post-production, editing by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy freesound.org.

I talk with an officer from a mid-sized agency in the Pacific NW who has been on for just under two years. We talk about why she recently changed careers to become a police officer and what it’s like having joined at this challenging time for LE. Given the location of her department, she has not been on the front lines of riots and protests. But she is battling an assault on a personal level, in her life and relationships with the perspective people have of the police, not just nationally, but within her own circle. It is something I imagine many officers new or tenured are experiencing. We talk about the need for conversations on difficult topics, George Floyd, and making a difference.  Her insights are heartfelt and heart wrenching.

Metro Transit Bus Driver Eric Stark is widely hailed as a hero in Seattle for his quick thinking and actions to save his passengers after he was shot while driving his bus in North Seattle on March 27, 2019. Eric recounts the harrowing ordeal and credits two Seattle Police Officers with saving his life. After receiving a Seattle PD Challenge Coin from then Chief Carmen Best, Eric decided to create his own challenge coin to thank and honor all LE. He has spent months making presentations and handing out his coins to officers at all SPD precincts and surrounding Seattle-area police agencies, as well as to officers he sees in the course of his day as a bus driver. He wants all LEOs to know how much they are, in fact, appreciated by their community and to inspire others in the community to take the time to get to know their police officers as fellow human beings, especially during this difficult time. As in Ep. 4 with citizen Zach, the SPD officers who responded to Eric and treated his injuries had EMT kits and EMT training funded by the Seattle Police Foundation. That funding comes through donations which can be made at www.seattlepolicefoundation.org.

As we give thanks this time of year, I am sharing what one Colorado citizen and his wife and friends are doing to step out of being the silent majority into the vocal majority by taking active steps to show their support for officers in their area – and for all law enforcement.  To all officers and your families and friends, I hope you’ll take a moment to enjoy this simple and heartfelt thank you.

Retired LAPD Det. Moses Castillo discusses civil unrest in Los Angeles and the calls from city officials to defund LAPD the impact of which, as in other markets, affects not only their ability to respond to calls, but also demoralizes officers. A 30-year veteran of the department, he started out during the Rodney King riots, and he compares the social unrest then and now. He also discusses some of the most meaningful cases he investigated involving the assault and murder of children, work he did for more than 20 years. The stories are dramatic and emotional, and they reinforce the commitment and sacrifice officers like Det. Castillo make every day to protect others. He shares his experience growing up in a dangerous neighborhood next to a gang house, and the very heartwarming story of the deputy he looked up to as a kid, the deputy who inspired a young boy to become a police officer. He has his own podcast:  The Blue Line Podcast with Detective Moses Castillo available on all podcast platforms.

Ep. 3 Former Seattle Police Officer looks back at 40-year career; his experience as a Black man in life and in law enforcement; the issues facing society and LE today; why he became a police officer, the people he remembers and the rewards of the job.  

Chief from a Pacific NW agency shares his views on steps law enforcement can take to win back public trust. We discuss bias and de-escalation training and how the best-trained officers are the least likely to use force; and we look at the viability of the co-responder model. He talks about how the Rodney King incident nearly caused him to leave the profession and his reaction to George Floyd. He details a solution-oriented program he created to bring officers and youth together in a positive environment. And he reflects on the heroic things officers do every day and the fundamental commitment to sanctity of human life.

Ep. 1 Seattle TV reporter Linda Byron shares the significance of the Seattle Police Department’s loss of its first Black female police Chief when Carmen Best suddenly resigns. (6:15 min). An SPD sergeant reacts to Best's news, to the murder of George Floyd, and he describes what it’s like on the front lines of the riots that have plagued the city for weeks. He reflects on hope for law enforcement, the lives he’s touched while being a police officer, and why it's still a rewarding career. (23:30 min.)

We all have feelings about cops.  Here's a short trailer on why I'm asking questions and telling their stories, the stories that you don't see in the news..