Dave Ogilvy spent 22 years with the Delta Police Department — most of them quietly doing the work that most officers only dream about. SWAT operator, ERT medic lead, police trainer, Cops for Cancer veteran, and one of the most respected voices in the room that nobody outside of it has ever heard from.
In this episode, Dave opens up about all of it.
We cover what it's really like to be involved in a police shooting, how he prepared himself — and his family — long before that day ever came, and what the aftermath actually looks like when the cameras aren't rolling. Dave also gets honest about losing two fingers on his gun hand, refusing to accept an adjusted physical standard, and fighting his way back onto the ERT on his own terms.
But this conversation goes deeper than tactics. We talk about what happens to your identity when the team is your whole world and then suddenly it isn't. We talk about the silent epidemic of cops who are great at the job and strangers at home. We talk about why seeking help is not weakness — and why waiting until you're in crisis to find a psychologist is already too late.
Dave is the kind of mentor that most people in this profession never get access to. Humble, direct, and completely without ego. He doesn't post on social media. He doesn't chase recognition. He just shows up, does the work, and makes everyone around him better.
This one is worth your full attention.
Topics covered:
What a police shooting actually feels like — before, during, and after
How to prepare your mind and your family for a critical incident
Losing two fingers and passing the same physical as everyone else
Identity loss after leaving the ERT and how to rebuild
Why policing is not family — and why that distinction matters
Cops for Cancer and 12+ years of giving back
Mental health stigma in law enforcement and how to break through it
The difference between the will to win and the will to train to win
What great police trainers actually do differently
Advice for anyone wanting to get on a tactical team
🎙️ Police Mentors is a podcast dedicated to sharing the hard-earned wisdom of experienced law enforcement professionals — the kind of conversations that don't happen in briefing rooms or on social media, but absolutely should.
#PoliceMentors #LawEnforcement #PolicePodcast #SWAT #EmergencyResponseTeam #PoliceMentalHealth #FirstResponders #PoliceTraining #TacticalPolicing #PoliceCulture #CopsForCancer #MentalHealthMatters #FirstResponderMentalHealth #PoliceLife #BlueLine #ThinBlueLine #PTSDAwareness #Resilience #LeadershipDevelopment #policeofficer
00:00 Police-Mentors Podcast Episode 3 with Dave Ogilvy
00:10 Introduction
03:53 Leaving Emergency Response Work
09:01 Identity
11:51 Overcoming Injury
15:58 The Will To Train To Win
17:59 Cops For Cancer
23:25 Positive Impact
25:51 There's Magic In The Uniform
29:26 Thin Blue Line
37:41 Fallen Officers
39:45 Shared Danger In Policing
40:39 Understanding Violence
46:48 "Did I Treat You Fairly?"
49:48 "Cuff Tuff"
51:08 Treating People Fairly
53:17 Helping People
58:36 Mental Health
01:09:00 Understanding Lethal Force
01:13:33 Self-Stigma
01:17:31 Police Bonds
01:21:22 Integrating Trauma
01:26:05 I've Got A Problem
01:33:46 Advice For New Members Of A Team
01:41:54 Team Before Self
01:42:51 Conclusion
Here is a link to a free chapter of my book on my website:
https://markbouchard.ca/stigma/
Or you can buy a paperback copy on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.ca/Setting-My-Sights-Stigma-Thoughts/dp/1738943003/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UT5YKTZC6EKM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3NhFgyk5IO9ESyDyBLRTuA.3pAVYHo9cIwh3z4-o5aoNDlfFc3_tkNxtZGDx_PZVqs&dib_tag=se&keywords=setting+my+sights+on+stigma&qid=1772649553&sprefix=setting+my+sight%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-1
