The CopDoc Podcast: Aiming for Excellence in Leadership – Details, episodes & analysis

The CopDoc Podcast - Season 9 - Episode 163

What happens when a former DEA executive takes the helm of a major city police department with a promise to be the most proactive force in America? We invited Dallas Police Chief Danny Comeaux to walk us through his playbook—why leadership starts with empower, inspire, motivate, how quick wins build trust, and why showing up unannounced at stations can change a culture faster than any memo. From the first 90 days of look, listen, and learn to a clear target of 4,000 sworn officers, his approach blends federal-scale thinking with deep local roots.

We talk strategy that bites: a relentless felony-warrants push with the U.S. Marshals, stronger ties with DEA and FBI, and a precision focus on repeat violent offenders. Then we zoom out to the backbone—evidence-based policing—through partnerships with UTSA for the city’s crime plan, Prairie View A&M for juvenile pathways, and SMU’s VR training to sharpen cultural competency and decision-making. Crime is down five years running, recruitment is surging, and a 10-month academy turns cadets into street-ready officers prepared to act with confidence and restraint.

Technology isn’t window dressing here. Drones as first responders become a triage engine for low-priority calls, freeing officers to move to real emergencies and cutting response times. Inside the department, accountability is strict yet fair: discipline with context, truth over politics, and promotions tied to peer respect and proven experience. Wellness sits near the top of the operational stack because the job demands it—support that keeps good officers healthy and effective. And across Dallas, collaboration with city services turns quality-of-life complaints into quick fixes, reinforcing that public safety is a team sport.

If you’re curious about modern policing that blends community engagement, transparency, data, and decisive enforcement, this conversation lays out a blueprint you can put into practice, listen to Chief Danny Comeaux on The CopdDoc Podcast. Like what you hear? Follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review to tell us what your city should try next.

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Contact us: copdoc.podcast@gmail.com 

Website: www.copdocpodcast.com

If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at stephen.morreale@gmail.com

The CopDoc Podcast - Season 9 - Episode 162

Policing changes fastest when leaders listen first and translate ideas into real work. That’s the throughline in our conversation with Jim Burch, president of the National Policing Institute, who shares a candid view of how a small team amplifies big impact: distilling research into actionable guidance, helping agencies adapt—not copy—what works elsewhere, and building partnerships that move from concept to implementation. Jim draws on decades across DOJ and ATF, and he’s blunt about what unlocks progress: focused mission, field-driven priorities, and a healthy respect for regional differences that shape what “evidence-based” looks like on the ground.

We dig into NPI’s multi-city hot spots training experiment that cut crime by more than 20 percent without driving arrests up, and how implementation science turns studies into day-to-day practice. Jim opens up about cross-sector learning—borrowing just-in-time training from airlines and safety culture from fire and EMS—and why policing earns “profession” status when cities budget for standards, education, and officer wellness, not just cars and calls. He also tackles mission creep, the limits of co-response in under-resourced regions, and the practical ways agencies can pool capacity without losing local trust.

AI is the tension point many leaders feel. Jim explains why NPI moved from tight restrictions to governed adoption—policies, transparency, and training—after seeing real productivity gains in analysis, drafting, and data work. Forget the narrow use-case fights; the near-term upside is smarter internal workflows that free experts to make better decisions faster. Paired with clear research summaries and careful adaptation, AI becomes a legitimate force multiplier for public service.

If you care about evidence-based policing, officer wellness, and practical innovation that respects community nuance, this conversation offers both realism and hope. Subscribe, share with a colleague who wrestles with these issues, and leave a review telling us where your agency most needs help—implementation, AI literacy, or wellness—so we can explore it next.

Hey there! Send us a message. Who else should we be talking to? What topics are important? Use FanMail to connect! Let us know!

Contact us: copdoc.podcast@gmail.com 

Website: www.copdocpodcast.com

If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at stephen.morreale@gmail.com

The CopDoc Podcast - Season 8 - Episode 154 

Leadership doesn't happen in a vacuum – especially in policing, where decisions impact both officers and communities. In this revealing conversation, Assistant Chief Jonathan Ziders takes us on his remarkable journey from reluctant recruit to departmental leader.

"I never wanted to be a cop," Ziders candidly shares at the start of our discussion. His original dream of becoming a firefighter gave way to a policing career that has seen him rise through every rank in the Lancaster, NY Police Department, culminating in his recent appointment as the agency's first-ever Assistant Chief. This unique trajectory provides the backdrop for exploring how leadership perspectives transform with increased responsibility.

Communication emerges as perhaps the most critical skill for police leaders. Ziders reflects on his evolution from an introverted officer to a leader responsible for setting departmental tone. "I had to learn how to speak and communicate differently because I started to realize that how I thought I should be wasn't going to work," he explains. His emphasis on explaining "the why" behind directives resonates as a leadership principle applicable far beyond policing.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Ziders discusses his data-driven approach to mental health response. After analyzing call data, he discovered mental health incidents were dramatically underreported in their systems – not intentionally, but due to classification practices. This revelation led to exploring co-responder models that pair officers with mental health clinicians, representing the forward-thinking approaches Ziters brings to his department.

Throughout our discussion, Ziders repeatedly returns to the service core of policing, explaining how he reinforces this value with new officers: "When we're looking at hiring, those are the types of people that we want - the service-oriented individuals." His philosophy of leadership being about character – "who you are, not what you do" – offers wisdom for leaders in any field.

Join us for this candid look at police leadership and discover why explaining purpose, fostering communication, and maintaining authenticity might be the most valuable tools in any leader's arsenal.

Hey there! Send us a message. Who else should we be talking to? What topics are important? Use FanMail to connect! Let us know!

Contact us: copdoc.podcast@gmail.com 

Website: www.copdocpodcast.com

If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at stephen.morreale@gmail.com

Sam Thiara is a leadership lecturer and leader coach affiliated with Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 

Sam is a writer and blogger, with a passion to inspire and motivate others in their personal and professional development through his many adventures and reflections on life’s journey.

Since 2004, Sam began as a lecturer at the Beedie School of Business and Fraser International College at Simon Fraser University. Sam created a conversation skills workshop series to help students on their soft skills as this is vitally important to help international students transition.

In 2011, Sam delivered a TEDx talk about ‘Discovering the Extraordinary in the Ordinary.’ This led to a published book on personal storytelling and helping the reader build their story-voice.

Sam completed his master’s degree in Leadership Studies at the University of Exeter in England, a double major in Business Administration and Political Science from SFU, completed a certificate in Life Coaching from Cambridge University, a community leadership program through Leadership Vancouver, a Human Resources certificate from BCIT, and adult education certification with Vancouver Community College.

Sam consistently strives to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary and his journey is documented at Sams50-50.com. His favorite saying and what he lives by: “Everyone’s life is an autobiography…make yours worth reading!” “Leave a lasting impression, not just a footprint.”

We talk about the leadership journey in policing. 

Hey there! Send us a message. Who else should we be talking to? What topics are important? Use FanMail to connect! Let us know!

Contact us: copdoc.podcast@gmail.com 

Website: www.copdocpodcast.com

If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at stephen.morreale@gmail.com

Hey there! Send us a message. Who else should we be talking to? What topics are important? Use FanMail to connect! Let us know!

Contact us: copdoc.podcast@gmail.com 

Website: www.copdocpodcast.com

If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at stephen.morreale@gmail.com

Bruce O'Brien is an Assistant Commissioner with the New Zealand Police.  He is now responsible for the National Intelligence, Evidence-based Policing, and Roads Policing. 

A 20+ year veteran with the NZP, Bruce is pursuing a doctorate through the Canterbury Christ Church University.  

We spoke about policing, the issues in policing in New Zealand and across the Globe, innovation, the New Zealand Evidence-based Policing Center, technology, police legitimacy, and leadership.

Bruce can be reached by email at bruce.obrien@police.govt.nz  

#Leadership #Leadershipdevelopment #Evidencebasedpolicing #NewZealandPolice #BruceO'Brien #SteveMorreale #TheCopDoc Podcast # policing #lawenforcement #WorcesterStateUniversity

Hey there! Send us a message. Who else should we be talking to? What topics are important? Use FanMail to connect! Let us know!

Contact us: copdoc.podcast@gmail.com 

Website: www.copdocpodcast.com

If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at stephen.morreale@gmail.com

Dr. Shawna Coxon is the Deputy Commissioner of An Garda Siochana, Ireland's National Police.  Shawna served with the Toronto Police Service, where she served for 26 years and rose to the rank of Deputy Chief where she led three commands at different times. 

Most recently, she was in charge of the Human Resources Command, which is comprised of three functions: People and Culture, Corporate Risk Management and the Hearings Office. This Command is responsible for driving the progressive hiring, training, discipline and development of Service members. Prior to that, she led the Priority Response Command followed by the Communities and Neighbourhoods Command. There she oversaw the reactive and proactive policing response of all 16 police divisions in the City of Toronto. These two commands include all front-line policing, community and neighbourhood policing, as well as the investigation functions at Toronto’s police divisions. They also include the Service’s Operations Centre, 911 Communications, Traffic Services, the Parking Enforcement Unit and Court Services. 

Deputy Coxon has had a diverse career working in many areas of policing including child abuse, sex crimes, human rights, professional standards, community response, vice, intelligence and national security. She was a proud member of the Transformational Task Force and is also well known for having implemented Service’s inaugural Computer Cyber Crime (C3) Section. She was chosen for both of these initiatives because she has led numerous enterprise-wide innovation projects. 

Shawna Coxon has a B.A.(Hons) in Psychology,  an M.A. in Criminology, and a Ph.D. in Law. from the University of Leicester in the UK.  She has published and lectured extensively around the world.  She has been an adjunct professor at the University of Guelph-Humber for fourteen years. 

As Depuy Commissioner for the Garda, Shawna is responsible for Governance, Transformation, and Strategic Planning. 

Hey there! Send us a message. Who else should we be talking to? What topics are important? Use FanMail to connect! Let us know!

Contact us: copdoc.podcast@gmail.com 

Website: www.copdocpodcast.com

If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at stephen.morreale@gmail.com

Dr. Lavery is Chair and Professor for Pace University’s Criminal Justice & Security. She has two forthcoming books on officer wellness and sociopolitical risks in agencies. She has published in: Frontiers, Journal of Behavioral. Health, and Journal of Law Enforcement. Her research includes officer wellness and resiliency, IPV, sex crimes, humane criminology, social media & violent crime, and human trafficking. Dr: Lavery regularly appears on radio and television news shows for commentary on criminal justice issues. 

Cathy was previously the Chair of the Criminal Justice Department at Iona College. 

Dr. Lavery received her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, specializing in Forensic Psychology and Ethics from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. She is a certified mediator with the New York ABA.

Dr. Lavery serves on various advisory boards and currently consults on issues of Title IX and sexual discrimination, cultural sensitivity, and trauma.

We talk about officer wellness, the impact of Social-Political Risk in Criminal Justice, and the value of exposing students and officers to options for enhancing wellness.   

Hey there! Send us a message. Who else should we be talking to? What topics are important? Use FanMail to connect! Let us know!

Contact us: copdoc.podcast@gmail.com 

Website: www.copdocpodcast.com

If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at stephen.morreale@gmail.com

Larry Forletta is a former local police officer, Maryland State Trooper, and Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration. he is now the creator and host of the Forletta Investigates Podcast.  He is the owner of Forletta Investigative/Security Consultants in the Pittsburgh area.

We talked about his experience in local and state police before signing on to the DEA.  The interview focused on DEA investigations, policing, and private investigations.  
 

Hey there! Send us a message. Who else should we be talking to? What topics are important? Use FanMail to connect! Let us know!

Contact us: copdoc.podcast@gmail.com 

Website: www.copdocpodcast.com

If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at stephen.morreale@gmail.com

Ginny McKenna is a retired police officer from the United Kingdom.  She worked for 8 years in England and resigned after feeling harassed and losing her zeal for policing.  She seriously contemplated suicide and stopped her decision to die because of her care for her dog, at the last minute.  

After several years, she decided to return to policing in Scotland, having to return to the police academy.  She retired and began her quest to become a life coach.  She has chosen to focus on police officers in distress. 

Our discussion revolves around serving as a woman in policing, the trauma that one can experience while on the job, and her focus on police officers across the Globe.  

Hey there! Send us a message. Who else should we be talking to? What topics are important? Use FanMail to connect! Let us know!

Contact us: copdoc.podcast@gmail.com 

Website: www.copdocpodcast.com

If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at stephen.morreale@gmail.com