Stop checking the box: How to make police officer wellness part of the job
In law enforcement, wellness can’t be an afterthought — it must be part of the foundation of operations. That means moving beyond surface-level initiatives to fully integrating mental health support into operations, training and leadership strategies. From proactive threat assessment to long-term officer resilience and retirement planning, embedding behavioral health into daily practice is key to building a healthier, more effective agency.
In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley talks with Dr. Cherylynn Lee, a police psychologist with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, about weaving behavioral science into tactical operations, threat assessment and daily officer interactions. From co-responder units to retirement planning, Dr. Lee explains how agencies can proactively support both sworn and civilian staff.
Read more from Dr. Lee on Police1 here. Connect with Dr. Lee on LinkedIn.
About our sponsor
This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
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Virtual reality training pays off in armed encounter
When officers respond to a call that seems routine — like a mental health check — they often have no idea how quickly that encounter could escalate. For Officer Alessandra Winterbauer of the Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department, what began as a calm conversation with a confused subject turned into a life-or-death confrontation. Her ability to remain composed and rely on recent virtual reality training helped avoid a deadly outcome and led to her recognition with Axon’s 2025 Jack Cover Save of the Year Award.
Officer Winterbauer and a colleague were dispatched to check on a man experiencing a possible mental health crisis. After a calm 20-minute conversation, the man abruptly asked, “If I come at you guys with a knife, will you shoot me?” Moments later, he sprinted toward officers. Winterbauer deployed her TASER 10 from over 30 feet away — just minutes after completing VR-based TASER training. Her successful response neutralized the threat without serious injury, demonstrating the real-world value of immersive, high-frequency training.
Click here to find out how to join the Lincoln Police Department.
About our sponsor
This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.
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Active shooter incidents dropped 50% — here's what law enforcement needs to know
In a rare bit of encouraging news, the FBI’s 2024 report on active shooter incidents shows a 50% drop in cases — from 48 in 2023 to 24 in 2024. But is this a trend or an outlier?
In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley talks with two of the country’s foremost experts on mass shootings and prevention: former FBI executive Katherine Schweit, author of “Stop the Killing” and host of “Stop the Killing” podcast and psychologist Dr. Peter Langman, author and threat assessment consultant. They break down what’s behind the drop and what law enforcement and communities need to do to sustain progress.
Schweit and Langman dig into key drivers behind the decline, including expanded civilian preparedness, stronger threat assessment protocols in schools, improved collaboration between law enforcement and behavioral health, and the use of AI technologies like ZeroEyes. They also weigh in on legislative factors such as red flag laws and gun purchase restrictions, while warning about new threats like increased use of IEDs and the normalization of political violence.
About our sponsor
This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.
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Domestic violence investigations are key to homicide prevention
Domestic violence is often dismissed as unpredictable, but the data says otherwise. Red flags — like strangulation, firearm access and prior abuse — frequently precede fatal outcomes. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Captain Eric K. Threlkeld of the Eddy County (New Mexico) Sheriff’s Office, who makes the case that proactive, well-trained investigators can identify these signs and intervene before violence turns deadly.
Captain Threlkeld brings decades of specialized experience in domestic violence investigations to this conversation, including work with a nationally recognized domestic violence response team in Colorado Springs and the launch of a similar program in New Mexico. He outlines practical steps first responders and investigators can take to treat every domestic violence call as a potential homicide case. From leveraging victim advocates and lethality assessments to tracking co-occurring abuse patterns, this episode delivers field-tested insight for every officer.
About our sponsor
This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
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What New York’s 1990s crime drop can teach police today
Over the past 30 years, American cities have seen crime rates surge and fall — sometimes dramatically. No city illustrates this swing better than New York, where murders dropped from more than 2,200 in 1990 to under 300 by 2017.
In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, former Baltimore cop and current John Jay professor Peter Moskos discusses the story behind that decline, as told in his new book, “Back from the Brink: Inside the NYPD and New York's Extraordinary 1990s Crime Drop.” The conversation covers leadership, accountability, crime data and the lessons law enforcement leaders can apply today.
Host Jim Dudley interviews Moskos about the origins and impact of New York’s historic crime decline in the 1990s. Moskos explains how NYPD's shift in focus — from scandal and corruption control to crime prevention — was spurred by leaders like Bill Bratton and Jack Maple, along with innovations like CompStat. He outlines how data, accountability and political will converged to create a seismic shift in policing outcomes, and why understanding this history matters for today’s police leaders.
About our sponsor
This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
Talking the beat to cover what matters to you as an LEO. Join deputy chief Jim Dudley (ret.) every weekly as he sits down with law enforcement leaders and criminal justice experts to discuss strategy, challenges and trends in policing.
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