The Sheriff's Mic: Cleared to Talk with Sheriff Kory Honea – Details, episodes & analysis

In its inaugural episode, Sheriff Honea sits down with someone who’s walked the walk and now talks the talk, former Sacramento County Sheriff and KFBK radio host, John McGinness. Sheriff Honea and John discuss several topics, including how community engagement has evolved, how important public trust is in law enforcement and the shift in the pendulum over the years, and the challenges with traditional media engagement and why podcasts have become an important tool in communicating with a broader audience. 

Feel free to share your comments, thoughts or suggestions for future podcasts at SheriffsMic@ButteCounty.net. 

Recruitment has been a problem plaguing law enforcement agencies nationwide for quite some time now, and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office is no exception. We currently have 68 vacancies at BCSO and are actively working on filling those positions; particularly in the Butte County Jail as our Jail Expansion Project is set to be complete in just a few short months.

In this episode, we talk with Alex Johnston, the co-owner of Epic Recruitment, the nation’s leading law enforcement recruiting agency. Alex walks us through the process and how his team develops professional, strategic campaigns designed specifically for law enforcement, and the proven results from these efforts. 

Butte County has been no stranger to wildfires, and because of that, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office has established a great working relationship with our firefighting partners at CAL FIRE. In episode three of Sheriff’s Mic: Cleared to Talk with Sheriff Honea, he sits down with CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire Department Chief Garrett Sjolund to discuss the severity of the wildfires we’ve experienced in our county, what he thinks is the reason for the increase in fires, and how critical decisions are made in the first few minutes after a fire ignites. 

Sheriff Honea sits down with Shawn Webber to talk about his road  to recovery and how he hopes to inspire others by sharing his story. 

Some cases strike at the heart of a community—and the arson fire at Bidwell Mansion in December 2024 was one of them. In a new episode of Sheriff’s Mic: Cleared to Talk, Sheriff Honea sits down with Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey to break down the investigation. Together, they discuss how detectives identified the suspect and meticulously retraced his actions in the days and months leading up to the fire.

In December 2024, Butte County faced an unthinkable tragedy. The moment the radio call came in—two children shot at Feather River Adventist School—every available law enforcement officer in the county responded without hesitation to stop the threat and protect innocent lives.

In this powerful episode of Sheriff’s Mic: Cleared to Talk, Sheriff Honea sits down with lead investigator Sgt. Tristan Harper to discuss the events of that devastating day. Together, they walk through the investigation, the cowardly actions of the shooter, and the tragic events that shook our community to its core.

California Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), which was signed into law in September 2023, significantly revised California's laws regarding concealed carry permits (CCW). In this episode of Sheriff’s Mic: Cleared to Talk, Sheriff Honea sits down with CCW expert, Deputy Joe Pinder from the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, to discuss all the places CCW holders are now restricted from carrying, and the challenges this law imposes on lawful gun owners.