Episodes

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever watched bodycam footage and thought, “Why didn’t they just…?”, you already know the hard truth: under extreme stress, the brain does not behave as it does in a classroom. Today we sit down with Remo Eyal, CEO and co-founder of Decision Tactical, to unpack what it really takes to build decision-making under pressure and why immersive scenario-based training has to feel real enough that you forget it’s training. We walk through the research and the physiology be...

Send us Fan Mail The job ends for everyone, and sometimes it ends fast. That’s where our conversation with Doug White starts: why police officers and first responders need to prepare for retirement and identity change from the first day in the academy, not the last month on the calendar. Doug shares how a career built on service, intensity, and saying “yes” can quietly turn into sleeplessness, hypervigilance, pain, and the kind of mental fatigue nobody wants to admit out loud. Doug walks us ...

Send us Fan Mail A police officer can be cleared for a shooting in a deadly-force fight, but still face prison for trying to control a suspect without firing a gun. That’s the core contradiction we dig into with retired NYPD Lieutenant John Macara and host of NYPD Unfiltered. We walk through the NYPD’s staffing and morale spiral: fewer applicants, faster exits, and a “10 is the new 20” mindset that turns a once-proud career into a short stop before the next job. We also talk about how ...

Send us Fan Mail Retiring with a pension is the plan, but what if the system quietly assumes you will not live long enough to enjoy it? I sit down with Dr. Mark Sherwood, a retired police sergeant turned functional medicine leader, to talk about the statistic that should stop every first responder cold: many officers still die around age 66, and the number has barely moved in decades. We get honest about how “wellness” often becomes window dressing while stress, overtime, and burnout keep ris...

Send us Fan Mail We talk with Dr. Michael Howell about earning a PhD and why his dissertation targets a neglected gap in active killer research: how churches train and prepare to stop violence. We connect his findings and his off-duty Costco shooting to real-time threat cues, officer safety, and why unsupported policies can get people hurt. • what it takes to finish a doctoral program and dissertation • why church security training and preparation is under-researched • lessons from an off-...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with retired Chief Scott Hughes to talk straight about why police morale, culture, recruiting, and training are sliding at the same time and why leadership choices are the common denominator. We also dig into rising assaults on officers, the damage of mandatory overtime, and what honest public communication looks like when an incident goes viral. We invite you to join other courageous leaders at TravisYates.org Our show sponsor, Telegenix, offers a 37% d...

Send us Fan Mail Your career and reputation can be taken away from you without a guilty verdict, without a complaint, and without evidence. If you find that shocking, you don't understand the state of law enforcement leadership today and you've never heard of Deputy Chief of Police Arthur Myers. He wrote a book to tell his story called "Tattered: When the Blue Line Frays" and he discusses it with Travis Yates with the emotion of a man they tried to break but they lost. This conversati...

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode, we talk with Doug Larsen about why police staffing shortages keep getting worse even when agencies spend big on recruitment marketing. Doug has spent the last 5 years solving law enforcement recruiting for countless agencies and his raw, authentic truth, is something that every leader must hear. Here are just some of the topics we discussed: • separating marketing metrics from police recruitment outcomes • why we call it a leadership decis...

Send us Fan Mail Accreditation in law enforcement can feel like a four-letter word, especially when you’ve only experienced it as paperwork dumped on patrol. We talk with Kevin Rhea, co-founder and executive director of the National Association for Accreditation Leadership, to make the case that accreditation can be a leadership tool, not a compliance treadmill, when it’s used to build systems that protect officers and earn community trust. We get practical about what “best practices” ...

Send us Fan Mail We talk with longtime EVOC instructor and author Hugh Anderson about why emergency driving remains one of the biggest and most preventable threats to officer and public safety. We dig into what consistent leadership, real-world on-road training, and ongoing requalification look like when an agency takes police driver training seriously. • why emergency vehicle operations training is underprioritized despite the data • how leadership changes can build or break EVOC...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with retired Air Force intelligence officer and leadership coach Chris Russell to unpack the leadership lessons behind his book More Than a Mission. We talk followership, purpose, crisis leadership, and why clear communication and real accountability are the difference between task completion and true success. • Chris’s path from ROTC to fighter units, Weapon School, special operations support, and command at NSA • why leadership success requires skil...

Send us Fan Mail Officer assaults are at an all-time high, and it seems like no one is discussing this dangerous trend. In this podcast, Dr. Travis Yates will discuss his personal path that brought him to discovering the first system designed for law enforcement safety that focuses on behavioral cues prior to violence. If you care about officer safety, threat assessment, use-of-force standards, and practical police leadership, listen to this podcast. Subscribe, share this with someone...

Send us Fan Mail We trace the journey of John Leas from a San Diego Police Lieutenant to MLB security director and unpack the real work behind safe, seamless large-scale events. We share hard lessons on budgets, training, terrorism risks, and how to build teams that protect people without breaking the fan experience. • early path from explorer and cadet to SDPD lieutenant • discovery of special events operations and motors • coordination of parades, runs, conventions, and VIP movements • tra...

Send us Fan Mail Pilate has authority, facts, and options, yet he still folds when the crowd gets loud, showing that leadership failure is often a failure of courage. Travis Yates and Dr. Greg Amundson connect that pattern to modern law enforcement leadership, resilience, faith, and the daily choice to lead by example. • Pontius Pilate as a leadership warning under pressure • cowardice reframed as “strategy” through compromise and stalling • courageous leadership as doing right d...

Send us Fan Mail We dig into why police staffing shortages persist even when plenty of people still want to serve, and why slow, confusing hiring pipelines push good candidates out. Brian Ellis explains how agencies can raise recruit conversion by reducing friction, clarifying expectations, and preparing applicants for every gate without lowering standards. • the real cost of understaffing across morale, fatigue, overtime, and response times • why agencies still recruit like it is 1995 and ...

Send us Fan Mail We examine how counterfeit sheepdogs infiltrate agencies, the media, and leadership spaces, why strong leadership and vetting matter more than charisma, and how to trust intuition without slipping into cynicism. Dr. Olivia Johnson shares practical tools for spotting red flags, setting boundaries, and protecting the mission. We encourage you to read her article on this same topic. In this episode, we: • definine shepherds, sheepdogs, wolves, and coyotes • patterns fraudster...

Send a text A jury cleared Deputy Anthony Gann of a manslaughter charge in two hours, but the path to that verdict is the part that America must understand and public safety needs to be warned about. I’m joined by Tiffany Yant, founder of Give Blue Hope, a nonprofit providing financial assistance to families of first responders killed in the line of duty. Tiffany also brings the lived reality of loss as the daughter of Officer Ross Bartlett, killed on duty in Nebraska. Together, we walk thr...

Send a text This is not just the story of Deputy Anthony Gann facing 20 years in prison for following his policy and training, but also about a much darker issue affecting law enforcement across the country. This episode is the opinion of Travis Yates. But it's an opinion you must hear. You can read the accompanying article here. Join Our Tribe of Courageous Leaders: Get The Book Get Weekly Articles by Travis Yates Join Us At Our Website Get Our 'Courageous Leadership' Training Join The C...

Send a text We sit down with Craig Floyd to trace his journey from building the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Museum to rallying public support through Citizens Behind the Badge. He lays out the data behind crime trends, officer assaults, and why leadership must speak with courage. • origins of the memorial and museum • why 2020 sparked a new advocacy effort • media narratives versus verified data • use of force rates across millions of contacts • rise in assaults and ambush...

Send a text A high-profile kidnapping exposes how leadership decisions drive investigative success or failure. We unpack missteps in Pima County, the cost of sidelining experienced detectives, the silence at the podium, and the growing toll on the deputies carrying the load. • context of the Guthrie abduction and public pressure • comparison of Tucson PD experience and Pima County capability • sidelining veteran homicide detectives and operational fallout • early investigative errors and los...

Send us a text We explore why culture beats cash, how leader–member exchange strengthens trust, and why sergeants are the keystone of retention. Dr. Marshall Jones makes the case for borrowing proven business models, fixing communication beyond email, and putting guardrails on AI so cases stand up in court. • education versus training and why the difference matters • applying business and I‑O psychology models to policing • toxic behavior definitions and positive accountability • building a ...

Send us a text Officers in Minneapolis describe empty rosters, mixed messages, and orders that put optics over safety. We speak with Jesse Watts of The Wounded Blue about confidential peer support, staffing collapse, and what courageous leadership should look like in high-risk moments. • why The Wounded Blue deployed a mobile peer command center to Minneapolis • how staffing fell from an 888 allotment to just over 300 usable on the street • where leadership orders conflict with policy and of...

Send us a text Lt. Randy Sutton and Dr. Travis Yates challenge the myths driving modern policing, from failed recruiting tactics to political mandates that increase officer injuries, and lay out practical, data-led ways to keep officers and communities safer. Dr. Travis Yates shares research, real numbers, and steps leaders can take now. • why marketing fails and targeted recruiting works • cost-per-hire math and fixing vacancies with data • retention linked to leadership support and culture...

Send us a text We sit down with Pete James of OfficerPrivacy.com to break down why doxxing has escalated, how data brokers expose home addresses, and what it takes to protect families. We also announce a waived-fee removal for Minnesota ICE agents and share practical steps to lock down social media. • why people-search sites endanger officers and families • how attackers chain social media to data broker records • real examples of doxxing turning into violence • initial removal versus contin...