On this episode, Brian Burghart and I discuss his work to document every police related deaths in the U.S. since the year 2000. We talk about the lack of a comprehensive government run national database, why he came to create Fatal Encounters, what was required to create it, how it’s managed, and the future of the database.
E27: Police Violence and Black Children: The Psychological Costs and Implications (w/ Ashley N. Jackson)
In this episode, Ashley N. Jackson from Washington University-St. Louis and I discuss the psychological impacts of police violence on adolescent Black boys. We talk about the history of race in the U.S., how it intersects police violence, “the talk”, and Jackson’s research.
E26: Defund the Police: What Does the End of Policing Look Like? (w/ Alex Vitale)
In this episode, Professor Alex Vitale from Brooklyn College and I discuss his book The End of Policing. We talk about the current crisis and how the use of policing as a form of social control can be reduced in the U.S. We talk about the drug war, the mental health crisis, deindustrialization, and automated driving technology.
E25: The Fuzzy Line Between War and Policing: Where Does One End and the Other Begin? (w/ Green Beret Logan Leslie)
On this episode, Green Beret, Tillman Scholar, and Harvard Law graduate Logan Leslie and I discuss the fuzzy line between domestic law enforcement and the military. We talk about the veteran experience and how the Global War on Terrorism influences U.S. policing. We also discuss how to control police use of force and also touch on his recent experience working the protests in Atlanta with his National Guard unit.
E24: Body of the Conquistador: Early European Social Control in the Americas (w/ Professor Rebecca Earle)
On this episode, Professor Rebecca Earle and I discuss early forms of social control in the Americas. Professor Earle studies the history of food and focuses on the Spanish conquest. She describes what “policing” might have looked like in 1492 and how the diets of European and Native populations were used as a tool of statecraft. We also discuss the creation of race during the early conquest and how we are living with those consequences today.
E23: Psychological Operations in the Age of Black Lives Matter (w/ Rick Schumacher)
On this episode, former psychological operations soldier Rick Schumacher and I discuss his path into the military, the recent deployment of federal officers to U.S. cities, as well as the use of PSYOPS and propaganda during the recent national uprisings. We also discuss the rules of engagement followed by soldiers in war zones and how those rules compare to the procedures followed by domestic police. We finish by discussing police training, the future of the BLM movement, and the importance of civil institutions such as the Tillman Foundation.
E22: Utopian Dreaming Inside Seattle’s CHAZ: A Marine Combat Correspondent Reports (w/ Ethan E. Rocke)
On this episode, Coffee or Die senior editor Ethan Rocke and I discuss his recent trip to the Capital Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in Seattle. We also talk about his experiences as a Marine combat correspondent, the social division currently facing the U.S., his recent conversation with General James Mattis, and how we can move forward as a country.
E21: The Agony and the Ecstasy of #METOO: Finding Justice Following a Sex Crime (w/ Guy Hamilton-Smith)
On this episode, Guy Hamilton-Smith and I discuss sex crimes, his experience as a victim and an offender, the origins of the #metoo movement, how the U.S. manages sex related offenses, obstacles to achieving justice for victims of sex crimes, and how to improve the system.
E20: From the Battlefield to the Bookshelf: Exploring Police Fiction (w/ Terry Weaver Jr.)
On this episode, Terry Weaver and I discuss his book A Dark Day in Texas. We talk about the Pat Tillman Foundation, his time as a Navy Corpsman, and the role those experiences have played in shaping the police fiction he creates.
E19: How Do We Make Police Officers Treat Transgender People Fairly? (w/ Professor Jace Valcore)
On this episode, Professor Valcore and I discuss the history of policing in the transgender community, the current state of affairs, what impact has training on addressing the problem, and steps we can take to create an institution that provides all communities with fair and equitable police services.