Good day and welcome to Powers on Policing; a podcast devoted to the world of law enforcement and criminal investigations from the perspective and first-hand accounts of and by the professionals who have devoted their lives and careers to making our country a better and safer place for all. My name is Bill Powers and I have been active in the law enforcement community for the past five decades. To borrow a phrase, “I know a thing or two because I’ve seen a thing or two.” Working together with my partner Jordan Rich we will present a view of the professions not generally seen or reported on. When you hear an emergency vehicle’s siren grow near or see a uniformed police officer approaching, what are your thoughts? I doubt they cause you to break into a smile, not because of the officer, but because of what they represent. Unfortunately, In the overwhelming amount of encounters the reasons for meeting are not pleasant or positive. Could be there has been an accident with injuries and you were involved or were a witness. Maybe a crime was committed, and you were the victim, or someone is being arrested and you are frightened. Sometimes it is a simple traffic stop and you are getting dinged for a speeding violation. Or perhaps it was a worst case scenario and they are on your doorstop delivering the kind of news that no one wants to hear. Have you ever stopped to consider that the person you are facing is just like you. A human being with a family and friends and feelings with similar beliefs and values. They aren’t the heartless mechanical automatons portrayed in all phases of media, but real people who took an oath of office to serve and protect you and your families from harm. They are the ones that willingly run towards harm while others flee to safety. They are the ones you pray can bring calm to chaos; and they almost always do! The primary objective of our podcast is to shed light on and explore the multi-layered and wide-ranging phases of policing and criminal investigations. Along the way we will also offer an inside look at the collaborations formed between agencies and businesses to fight and solve crime. For example: • We will discuss and explore the work of criminal investigators, crime scene specialists and forensic scientists. • We will look at the roles and responsibilities of coroners and medical examiners and talk about how they are able to determine the cause and manner of someone’s death • We will venture into the courtroom and explore the work of judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Think of our time together as a multi-faceted citizens academy; except on steroids.
Along the way, we will also delve into related topics about leadership, community policing, current issues in policing etc. And maybe spend a few episodes speaking with true crime and mystery writers about their methods for researching and writing a short story or novel. Thank you for coming with us on our ride-along. and we promise you won’t be disappointed.
Some stuff that may be better used as another time.
Why now... for too long police have not had a voice in the narrative and it is the right time and place to re-write much of what has been written and give the listener a view from the police side of the yellow crime scene tape.
Over the past few years, the general media portrayal of police has turned negative. It seems like news reporters often operating with limited knowledge but making plenty of assumptions about the why and what of the incident, depict the police press reports with skepticism and their actions are questioned as though they were being interrogated about why they took the action they did … Because the media and special interest groups have been dominating and controlling the narrative the police voice or version of the events has been lost in the noise.