Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast In the Line of Fire with Gary Dillon

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Chief Jim Williams was appointed to the position of Chief of Police on July 1, 2003. Chief Williams began his career with the Staunton Police Department as a police officer in September of 1984. During his career, he was promoted to the rank of Corporal, Sergeant, and Captain, serving as shift commander, investigations unit commander, team leader of the Critical Incident Response Team, and Division Commander of the Community Involvement/Support Operations division.

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Crossover edition - Gary is catching with Dana Schrad from the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police for a 2026 Virginia Legislative update. 

Recorded: 3/12/2026

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Gary is catching with Dana Schrad from the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police for a 2026 Virginia Legislative update. 

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In this episode, I'm speaking with Gina Rollo White about an incredibly important topic: mindfulness, and how it can be applied in meaningful, practical ways for first responders.

Those who serve in law enforcement, fire, EMS, corrections, and other public safety roles face constant high-stress situations, fast decision-making, and the emotional weight that comes with the job. Mindfulness is often thought of as something quiet or abstract, but in reality, it can be a powerful tool for building resilience, improving focus, and supporting overall wellness in the field.

Gina brings valuable experience and insight into how mindfulness can be integrated into the daily lives of those on the front lines.

Gina's website: www.mindfuljunkie.com

Gina's podcast: Just Fucking Breathe

Gina's book: Tactical Brain Training

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Chief A.J. Panebianco has over 30 years of law enforcement service in Virginia and is a published author. He retired from the Town of Middleburg Police Department in 2022 and has been providing consulting services to localities since then. 

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On a quiet October morning in 1988, just outside the town limits of Warrenton, Virginia, the body of 20-year-old Tammy Thorpe was discovered on a gravel lane off Route 17. She had been shot multiple times in the face with a small-caliber firearm. Her car was found that same day parked at the Warrenton Plaza Shopping Center—unlocked, keys still in the ignition, and her purse left inside.

It’s been nearly 37 years since Tammy was taken from her family, and while investigators have worked tirelessly on the case, her murder remains unsolved. This is still an active investigation, and we will continue to work diligently to solve this murder and to get justice for Tammy and her family.

https://coldcase.vsp.virginia.gov/fauquier-sheriffs-office/

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I'm happy to have John Clair back on the show as the new police chief for the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia. 

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Chief Scott Booth, Roanoke (VA) Police Department discusses his career in policing and the Roanoke Police Department. 

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In this episode, I speak with Chief Tom LaBelle about his lengthy fire-rescue career and the many challenges facing volunteer fire departments. 

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In this episode, we'll catch with Dana Schrad, Executive Director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police to discuss what's happening after crossover day in Virginia's General Assembly. 

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I'm back visiting with Chief Kochis, after our first interview in August 2023. A lot of progress and good things continue to happen in the Charlottesville Police Department, and we'll hear about their latest initiatives. 

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In this episode, I am featuring Williamsburg (VA) Fire Chief Larry Snyder. Chief Snyder has had an exciting career in the fire service and will share that many things his department is doing to better serve the community, as well as introducing their brand new fire station. 

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In this episode, I’m interviewing Chief Sean Dunn from the Williamsburg, Virginia Police Department. We’re discussing his career in law enforcement as well as the excellent service and initiatives provided by Williamsburg PD, and their new building, which is currently under construction.

If you have an idea for a show topic, guest, or want to share your feedback on this podcast, click the “Send Gary a Message” link in the show notes. 

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The Human Services Alternative Response Team (HART) is a joint program of Albemarle County Department of Human Services, Albemarle County Fire Rescue, Albemarle County Police Department, and Partner for Mental Health. 

Launched in July 2023, HART's purpose is to respond and follow up on emergency calls that are mental health and/or substance use related through a collaborative, trauma-informed, human-centered approach.

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I had the pleasure of interviewing my dad again!

Please note that this interview took place on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, prior to the attempted assassination of former President Trump, days later.

Here are some links of topics mentioned in the show:

What's Inside the Secret Service Headquarters?:
 https://youtu.be/8lI1Z0_UwCE?feature=shared

George Lincoln Rockwell Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lincoln_Rockwell

More on Rockwell:
https://arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2005-2-Nazi.pdf

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/08/21/the-shadow-of-an-assassinated-american-nazi-commander-hangs-over-charlottesville/

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In this episode, I’m speaking with Celeste Baldino, Deputy Operations Manager from the Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle Communications Center. 

We’ll walk through Celeste’s 23 year career in emergency communications and learn about current and evolving technology that helps their staff provide stellar service to their growing population.

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I'm interviewing Dana Schrad, the Executive Director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. Dana has been in this role for many years. We'll talk about her start in media communications, her work with the Virginia Crime Commission and the good work that she does for Virginia law enforcement.

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Karen Inman from VRSA discusses cyber security, newest trends criminals are using to steal your information, and helpful tips to avoid being a victim of a phishing attack. 

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In this episode, I am interviewing Chief Amanda Behan, Chief of the City of Winchester Police Department. We'll talk about her early interest in policing, her path to chief, and some of the innovative programs she's initiated in Winchester. 

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Ronald Kessler is the New York Times bestselling author of 21 non-fiction books.  Join me as we discuss some of his books, and some of the behind the scenes details of Presidents, their families, and the FBI.

Ronald Kessler's Books (from newest to oldest)

1. THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE - Changing the Rules of the Game
2. THE FIRST FAMILY DETAIL - Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents
3. THE SECRETS OF THE FBI
4. IN THE PRESIDENT'S SECRET SERVICE - Behind the Scenes With Agents in the Line of Fire
    and the Presidents They Protect 
5. THE TERRORIST WATCH - Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next Attack
6. LAURA BUSH - An Intimate Portrait of the First Lady
7. A MATTER OF CHARACTER - Inside the White House of George W. Bush
8. THE CIA AT WAR - Inside the Secret Campaign Against Terror
9. THE BUREAU - The Secret History of the FBI
10. THE SEASON - Inside Palm Beach and America’s Richest Society
11. INSIDE CONGRESS - The Shocking Scandals, Corruption, and Abuse of Power Behind the Scenes on Capitol Hill
12. THE SINS OF THE FATHER - Joseph P. Kennedy and the Dynasty He Founded
13. INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE - The Hidden Lives of the Modern Presidents and the
    Secrets of the World's Most Powerful Institution
14. THE FBI - Inside the World’s Most Powerful Law Enforcement Agency
15. INSIDE THE CIA - Revealing the Secrets of the World’s Most Powerful Spy Agency
16. ESCAPE FROM THE CIA - How the CIA Won and Lost the Most Important KGB Spy Ever to Defect to the U.S.
17. THE SPY IN THE RUSSIAN CLUB - How Glenn Souther Stole America’s Nuclear War Plans and Escaped to Moscow
18. MOSCOW STATION - How the KGB Penetrated the American Embassy
19. SPY vs. SPY - Stalking Soviet Spies in America
20. THE RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD - The Story of Adnan Khashoggi
21. THE LIFE INSURANCE GAME 

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I’m excited to interview my friend Ed Robb for part 2 of the Friend of the Family series. Ed served the FBI for twenty years and was regarded as one of the best undercover agents in the bureau’s history. 

In this episode, we’ll learn more about the Coldwater case and some of it’s mafia players – Jimmy Aquafredda, Santo Trafficante, JoJo Fitapelli, Sonny Black, Left “Two guns” Ruggerio, and more. 

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In this episode, I speak with Chief Tim Longo about his career and passion for law enforcement.

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Retired Chief Bobby Mawyer and I continue our discussion about the three suspects developed in Elsie Mae's disappearance, the discovery of skeletal remains in the early 1970's, and an exhumation to extract DNA to test against those remains and other potential items related to Elsie Mae. 

Do you have a tip or a suggestion to help with this investigation? Please send me a message or email: inthelineoffirepodcast@gmail.com and I'll share the information with Chief Mawyer. Other Virginia cold cases that need attention, let me know! Thanks for listening.

Please rate the podcast!

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In this episode, I'm interviewing Albemarle County (VA) Fire Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston. We discuss many topics including his early start in volunteer fire service, his path to chief of a combination career/volunteer system, service as President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and what's next for the fire service. 

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In this episode, I’m interviewing retired FBI agent Ed Robb. Ed’s unique career led him to become a pioneer in FBI undercover work and one of the bureau’s best early undercover agents.

In his fascinating career, Ed worked his way up the mob ladder to become known among the criminal underworld as a powerful mob figure in Central Florida.

Criminal Trial article

Friend of the Family book link

Wikipedia link

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In this episode, I'm speaking with Kit Cummings and Adam Blevins about police officer wellness, and the life-changing programs provided by the Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program (VALEAP). 

Both guests will share their personal stories of job-related trauma and the importance of our police officers starting to treat themselves like those they are responsible for helping.

For information about VALEAP, please visit their website at www.valeap.org

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In this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing Chief James Lane, his interest in law enforcement from a young age, rising to the top of his department as chief, and his tragic shooting that nearly took his life. 

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Chief Chris Rinker started his career with the New Market (VA) Police Department rising to the rank of Chief in 2015. Chief Rinker talks about small town policing, his service dog "Benelli", the importance of crisis intervention, and many other interesting topics. 

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In this episode, we meet Rebecca and Amanda, two female law enforcement officers from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Rebecca recently retired after 33 years on the job and Amanda has been an officer for 3 years. We'll talk about what has changed for women in law enforcement over the past 30+ years, and the challenges women still face.

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In this episode, I interview Jack Ryan - a retired Captain from the Providence, RI Police Department. In the 90's, Jack received his Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude, from Suffolk University Law School. 

Jack is a former adjunct faculty member at Salve Regina University and lectures frequently throughout the United States. 

He is the Co-Director of the :Legal and Liability Risk Management Institute and has conducted agency audits for that entity, several involving issues of administrative investigations. 

Jack regularly conducts training seminars for LLRMI in a variety of subjects including Use of Force, Internal Affairs and Legal Issues. Jack has written two books for use by Rhode Island Law Enforcement Officers, Rhode Island Law Enforcement Officers Guide to Criminal Procedure and Rhode Island Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights, a Practical Guide to the Law of Investigations and Hearings. 

Jack has written extensively on the legal issues surrounding the Internal Affairs process. Jack Ryan also writes a field guide for law enforcement officers nationally titled: Case Law for Critical Tasks in Law Enforcement, A Legal Guide for Officers and Supervisors, which is updated annually at the end of each United States Supreme Court Term. Jack also authors and edits the Legal and Liability Risk Management Institute’s bi-monthly publications providing legal and liability updates to law enforcement agencies throughout the United States.

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John Clair is the police chief for the Town of Marion, VA. Prior to his service in Marion, he served as police chief for the Town of Quantico, VA. John shares his perspective on working as a small town police chief, with advice for others who seek police chief roles. 

In the Line of Fire with Gary Dillon is sponsored by VRSA, Virginia's largest and most financially sound group self insurance pool, providing auto, property, liability, and workers compensation coverage to local governments, schools, and authorities. 

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Part3: A Strange Twist

On May 20, 1957, Elsie Mae Roane disappeared from West Point, Virginia. In her teens, she was last seen in the downtown area and never heard from again. Take a journey with retired police chief Bobby Mawyer as he begins a cold case investigation into Elsie's disappearance. Tips? Email: inthelineoffirepodcast@gmail.com

In the Line of Fire with Gary Dillon is sponsored by VRSA, Virginia's largest and most financially sound group self insurance pool, providing auto, property, liability, and workers compensation coverage to local governments, schools, and authorities. 

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The 3rd episode of The Disappearance of Elise Mae Roane airs Friday, September 22.

In previous episodes, we learned about Elsie Mae, her family, and some potential suspects that Bobby Mawyer identified through his investigation, along with a possible link to the Colonial Parkway murders. In episode 3, we will dig further in the past of those suspects.

Let’s take a peek at some of the future guests coming to In the Line of Fire, 

We’ll speak with:

• Marion, Virginia Police Chief John Clair as he talks about what it takes to be a small town police chief, as well as some of the challenges and advantages.
• Norton, Virginia Police Chief James Lane, 2 years after his tragic shooting, and
• Retired Providence Rhode Island Captain and police consultant Jack Ryan, from the Legal and Liability Risk Management Institute. 

Do you have an idea of someone that would make an interesting guest on In the Line of Fire? Send me an email at: inthelineoffirepodcast@gmail.com

In the Line of Fire with Gary Dillon is sponsored by VRSA, Virginia's largest and most financially sound group self insurance pool, providing auto, property, liability, and workers compensation coverage to local governments, schools, and authorities. 

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Part 2: Developing Suspects

On May 20, 1957, Elsie Mae Roane disappeared from West Point, Virginia. In her teens, she was last seen in the downtown area and never heard from again. Take a journey with retired police chief Bobby Mawyer as he begins a cold case investigation into Elsie's disappearance. Tips? Email: inthelineoffirepodcast@gmail.com

In the Line of Fire with Gary Dillon is sponsored by VRSA, Virginia's largest and most financially sound group self insurance pool, providing auto, property, liability, and workers compensation coverage to local governments, schools, and authorities. 

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In this episode, we’ll meet Michael Kochis, Chief of the Charlottesville (VA) Police Department. 

Hailing from the great state of New Jersey, Chief Kochis began his career with the City of Roanoke (VA) Police Department, and then later moving on to the Alexandria (VA) Police Department He graduation from the FBI National Academy in Quantico and accepted his first chief’s job with the Town of Warrenton (VA)  Police Department. 

Now Charlottesville’s police chief, Kochis assumes command of a department in positive transition with a committed focus on his officers, community, and building relationships. 

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On May 20, 1957, Elsie Mae Roane disappeared from West Point, Virginia. In her teens, she was last seen in the downtown area and never heard from again. Take a journey with retired police chief Bobby Mawyer as he begins a cold case investigation into Elsie's disappearance. Tips? Email: inthelineoffirepodcast@gmail.com

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In this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing my father, Allan Dillon, during his recent trip to Virginia. While here, I convinced him to let me interview him about growing up in Arlington, Virginia, to his over 30 year career with the United States Secret Service. Hired during the Kennedy administration in the early 60's, he was based out of Washington D.C. and Miami, Florida, working criminal cases and serving on various Presidential and other protective details until his retirement in 1993. 

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A lifelong public servant, John takes you through his journey of service from growing up in New York City, to his first law enforcement job with the Port Authority Police Department of New York. Hear how John provided over two decades of investigative expertise to the FBI, and some of the notable cases he worked. John's commitment to serving doesn't stop in retirement as you'll hear more from John in how he continues to give back to his community and mentor others. 

Co-hosted by Brad Rykal, of The Brad Rykal Brief podcast.