The CopDoc Podcast

03/16/2026

Leadership isn't a position. It's a choice — made every single day. After 30+ years in law enforcement and years in the university classroom, and in COmmand College and Leadership sessions. I've learned what separates the supervisors who just manage from the leaders who actually make a difference. It's not rank. It's not years on the job. It's the intentional choice to lead.

I wrote Choosing to Lead for every officer who got promoted and felt like nobody prepared them for what came next.

✅ 18 chapters of practical guidance
✅ Real stories from the field and the classroom
✅ Written for new sergeants, lieutenants AND seasoned chiefs

Your people don't want to be managed. They want to be led.

Get your copy on Amazon now: https://www.amazon.com/Choosing-Lead-Approaches-Leading-Organizations/dp/B0DTG81MD4

10/01/2025

It's Out!

Voices in Blue has been released for purchase on Amazon.

The Unique "Voices in Blue" isn't another policing textbook. It's 160+ unfiltered conversations with police leaders who transformed their organizations during the most challenging period in modern law enforcement history.

What makes it unique?

Real leadership wisdom from leaders from 3 continents sharing what actually worked—and what didn't, tested during unprecedented scrutiny

Written by a "pracademic" who's been both cop and professor for 50 years
AI partnership helped to extract patterns and themes across hours of conversations that a human reader might miss.

For emerging leaders: You'll find actionable frameworks, not theory. These leaders share the mistakes they made climbing the ranks, so you don't have to repeat them.

Here's the lineup in the book:

- Chief, Los Angeles Police Department, - Former Chief, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, - Retired Chief, Seattle Police Department, Mark Dubois - Chief, Portland Police Department, Maine, - Retired Inspector, NYPD; Professor, St. John's University, , Ph.D. - Professor, Suffolk University, Boston, MA, - Director, Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, Arizona State University, , Ph.D. - Professor of Practice, University of Pennsylvania, - Deputy Chief, Framingham Police Department, Massachusetts, - Police Psychologist, Hillsboro, Oregon, - Former Deputy Superintendent, Surrey Police Service, British Columbia, Canada, , Ph.D. - Chief, Elizabeth City State University Police, - Chief, Castle Rock Police Department, Colorado, – Chief, Wilmington NC Police, former Chief, Lynchburg Police Department, Virginia, - Chief, Shakopee Police Department, Minnesota, , Ph.D. - Superintendent, An Garda Síochána (Ireland), - Chief Constable, Staffordshire Police Service, United Kingdom, Bruce O'Brien - Assistant Commissioner, New Zealand Police, - Colonel, Colorado State Patrol, - Retired Chief, Alexandria Police Department, Virginia; former Commissioner, California Highway Patrol.

Beginning work on More Voices in Blue, the next in a series.

Please let me know what you think when you read it. Repost, if you find this of value for colleagues in the field. Order with link below.

https://lnkd.in/e9GYhd-E

09/06/2025

Coming soon - "Voices in Blue" - Capturing Global Police Leadership Wisdom

The guests I connect with from around the world on The CopDoc Podcast offer such a rich tapestry of ideas and practices that I felt their insights were too valuable to remain accessible only through audio.

The "Voices in Blue" series provides an opportunity to capture their words, quotes, ideas, leadership practices, and principles in a format that allows for deeper reflection and broader application.

"Voices in Blue" is now in its final stages of review and formatting, with the first book planned for release in October 2025.

The most important elements are the stories—the trials, tribulations, missteps, and successes—that reveal authentic leadership in action. Each chapter focuses on individuals actively working in the field, followed by a synthesis of leadership themes that will prove valuable to current and future leaders. These aren't theoretical frameworks developed in isolation, but practical strategies tested under real-world pressure by leaders who've navigated unprecedented challenges while building stronger organizations and community relationships. The goal is creating a resource that captures the collective wisdom of practitioners at a critical moment in law enforcement history, making their insights available to leaders facing similar challenges today and those who will inherit these evolving organizations tomorrow.

09/06/2025

"Voices in Blue" - Coming October 2025
After hundreds of conversations with police leaders from around the globe on The CopDoc Podcast, I realized these insights were too valuable to exist only in audio form. "Voices in Blue" captures the authentic words, leadership practices, and hard-won wisdom of chiefs, commissioners, and innovators who are transforming law enforcement during one of its most challenging periods.

This isn't about theory—it's about real stories of trials, failures, and breakthroughs from leaders actively working in the field. More than 20 chapters feature voices from California to Ireland, Canada to Massachusetts, Colorado to Northern Ireland, and Virginia to New Zealand. Each chapter preserves their authentic voices while extracting practical leadership lessons that apply far beyond policing.

The first in what will be an ongoing series documenting how leadership evolves to meet contemporary challenges. These conversations matter, and now they'll be available for deeper reflection and broader impact.

09/04/2025

Remember when police departments resisted in-car computers? "For the past year, I had my foot down about not using AI. I did not understand it, therefore I did not trust it" - Command College student.
Those who adapted early gained huge advantages in efficiency, communication, and operational effectiveness. AI represents the same transformational opportunity for police leadership today.

'Leading Police with AI: Your Thought Partner' helps police leaders seize it responsibly—with frameworks for strategic planning, training development, and crisis management that maintain human control while amplifying leadership capability.

The early adopters will lead departments of the future.
Available now: https://a.co/d/943Tj9k

08/19/2025

After 35 years in law enforcement, 20 years in higher education. and 2 years testing and overcoming frustration with early output from AI tools, I've cracked the code on how police leaders can harness artificial intelligence without losing human control.

'Leading Police with AI' drops tomorrow on Amazon.

07/21/2025

https://youtu.be/Z6B6B1byXo0?si=oIqXVLF7MbTGjab2

A recent interview by Joanne Sweeney on AI in Policing. As we ride around BVoston and Cambridge before Joanne attends an Executive session at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, we chat about the future of AI in Policing.

This week on AI SIX, we’re taking a ride, literally.Join me for a special carpool karaoke-style conversation as I drive through Cambridge and Downtown Boston...

07/15/2025

Just released on The CopDoc Podcast!

Our chat with Chief Jim McDonnell, Los Angeles Police Department.

What does today's police officer need that they didn't 40 years ago? Jim McDonnell worries we're not preparing officers for modern challenges: "We need someone compassionate who can talk to a child, then rush into a school to stop an active shooter." Listen to this episode and 150+ others on The CopDoc Podcast. Please share if you find value in the content. Thanks.

Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1582894/episodes/17442677-from-boston-to-la-jim-mcdonnell-one-chief-s-journey-through-three-departments.mp3?download=true

04/02/2025

Appointment as a Fellow with the Future Policing Institute

I'm honored to share that I've been appointed as a Fellow with the Future Policing Institute (FPI), an organization dedicated to shaping the future of policing through innovation and community-focused strategies.
The FPI's mission centers on creating effective, anticipatory, and rightful models of policing that balance public safety with community engagement, transparency, and equity. Their approach emphasizes that policing is "rightful" when it is effective, empathetic, and just — principles that have guided my work throughout my career.

In this role, I'll be collaborating with forward-thinking professionals from policing, private sector and scholars across the globe to develop frameworks that enhance police service delivery in crucial areas such as officer wellness, community relationships, technology, AI, and evolving service needs. This fellowship complements my work as a Professor at Worcester State University, Director of the LIFTE Command College program, and host of The CopDoc Podcast. Thanks to Jim Bueermann, President of FPI.

I look forward to contributing to the FPI's important work and sharing insights with my network. For more information about the Future Policing Institute and its initiatives, visit https://lnkd.in/eeTDS6kW.
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02/20/2025

Up next on The CopDoc Podcast, listen to my chat with Tanya Meisenholder from NYU School of Law Policing Project and the 30 x 30 Initiative. The story of women in policing has often been fraught with challenges, stereotypes, and deep-rooted biases. Dr. Tanya Meisenholder, with her extensive background and dedication, offers a fresh perspective on the importance of increasing female representation in law enforcement. Central to the conversation is the 30 by 30 initiative, which aims to increase the number of women in police departments to 30% by the year 2030. This goal is not merely a numerical target; it represents a larger vision for the future of policing, one that recognizes the diverse talents and perspectives women bring to this critical public service. There are many active partners, some listed below.

Listen on Spotify, Apple, or other podcast apps, or at this link: https://lnkd.in/evh5H3dN

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