The CopDoc Podcast: Aiming for Excellence in Leadership

Episodios

• Ryan Johansen, Apex, NC Police 23.06.2026 58m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 10 - Episode 173 Guest: Chief Ryan Johansen, Apex Police Department, Apex, North Carolina Most police chiefs walk into a new department and tell people their vision. Ryan Johansen asked questions and took notes for 90 minutes with every single one of his 200 employees. One-on-one. No agenda. Just listening. EPISODE DESCRIPTION Chief Ryan Johansen of the Apex Police Department sits down with Dr. Steve Morreale for a wide-ranging conversation on what it takes t...
• Leading Through Disruption: Christian Quinn on AI and Police Leadership 09.06.2026 58m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 10 - Episode 171 In this episode of The CopDoc Podcast, Dr. Steve Morreale sits down with Christian Quinn, retired Fairfax County Police executive and founder of Fulcrum Innovations. Christian traces his path from Massachusetts summer police officer to one of the technology leaders in one of the nation's largest county police departments. The conversation then dives into the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence in policing. Steve and Christian explore:...
• Chief Tom Wetzel - University Circle, OH Police 26.05.2026 57m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 10 - Episode 170 EPISODE SUMMARY What happens when a police chief walks into his first department meeting and tells the staff, "I'm here to serve you — not the other way around"? For Chief Tom Wetzel of the University Circle Police Department in Cleveland, Ohio, that statement was not a slogan. It was a commitment he has carried through three decades of policing, from dispatcher to lieutenant to chief. In this conversation, Tom shares a leadership philosophy built ...
• Dr. Heather Glogolich, Captain, NJ Instititue of Technology Police 29.04.2026 47m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 9 - Episode 169 EPISODE SUMMARY: Steve Morreale sits down with Captain Dr. Heather Glogolich of the NJIT Police Department in Newark, New Jersey, for a candid, deeply personal, and professionally rich conversation about what it means to lead in policing today. Heather brings more than 22 years of law enforcement experience, an EdD focusing on domestic violence and higher education, and a hard-won perspective on what it takes not just to survive in a male-dominated ...
• From Dirt Road to Doctorate: Leadership Lessons from Chief Lance Arnold, Broken Arrow Police, OK 15.04.2026 1h 1m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 9 - Episode 168 What does it take to go from a dirt road in Northeast Texas to leading one of the most progressive police departments in the country? In this episode of The CopDoc Podcast, Dr. Steve Morreale sits down with Dr. Lance Arnold, Chief of Police in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Lance calls his journey "dirt road to doctorate," and that phrase captures something essential about who he is: a leader who never lost sight of where he came from, even as his thinking...
• "Standing in the Gap: Gina Hawkins on Culture, Women in Policing, and What Standards Really Mean" 03.03.2026 54m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 9 - Episode 167 What does it take to walk into four different agencies, each with its own culture and expectations, and lead effectively in all of them? Gina Hawkins has done exactly that — from the Atlanta Police Department where she came of age as a young officer, to Sandy Springs, Clayton County, Fayetteville, North Carolina, and now Cobb County's Sheriff's Office. Along the way she has learned that culture doesn't start inside the building. It starts with the c...
• Cyndee Woolley - C2 Communications 10.02.2026 52m

  Season 9 - Episode 166 - The CopDoc Podcast 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
• Chief Jeremy Story: Building Leaders, Telling Stories, and Changing Policing in Las Cruces, New Mexico 01.02.2026 59m

  Season 9 - Episode 166 - The CopDoc Podcast What does it take to lead a police department through tragedy, transformation, and tremendous change? Chief Jeremy Story of the Las Cruces Police Department in New Mexico knows firsthand. A Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, Jeremy joined policing in 2007 after choosing family over a military career. He rose through the ranks touching nearly every division—SWAT commander, K-9 handler, gang unit sergeant, training director, and deputy chief—bef...
• Chief Kathy Lester, Sacramento Police 30.12.2025 56m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 9 - Episode 165 There's a consistent problem in American law enforcement that rarely makes headlines but shapes everything: what we do with people when they get promoted to lieutenant. Traditionally, they get a rank, a schedule, sometimes a handshake, and they're told to run the night shift. Nobody teaches them they've fundamentally changed jobs. They still think like a sergeant, which makes sense. They were excellent sergeants. So they become, as researcher Steve ...
• Joanne Sweeney on AI - Host of AI6 Podcast 04.12.2025 56m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 9 - Episode 164 AI Advocate: Joanne Sweeney on Leadership in the Age of Artificial Intelligence This week on The CopDoc Podcast, we're back with Joanne Sweeney from Galway, Ireland, reconnecting for our second conversation about one of the most transformative forces in modern organizations: artificial intelligence. She is the host of AI6 Podcast. About AI in six minutes. What started as curiosity three years ago when Sam Altman introduced ChatGPT has evolved ...
• Dallas Police - Daniel Comeaux -Empower, Inspire, Motivate: A Chief’s Blueprint For Modern Policing 06.11.2025 55m

  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 clea...
• Jim Burch -From DOJ Halls to NPI: Building Evidence-Based, Human-Centered Policing 21.10.2025 56m

  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 acros...
• Why Police Leaders Must Borrow and Share Good Ideas-Jason Sieczkowski, Asst. Chief Chandler, AZ Police 07.10.2025 57m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 9 - Episode 161 In an interesting conversation from Chandler, Arizona, Assistant Chief Jason Sieczkowski reveals the innovative leadership approaches transforming his department into what he calls "the Silicon Valley of the desert." As an IACP 40 Under 40 honoree who's spent his entire 19-year career with Chandler PD, Jason shares the philosophy that's helped him rise to overseeing all field operations: continuous improvement. The discussion dives deep into how mo...
• From Fine Arts to Tucson Police Chief: Chad Kasmar's Journey 23.09.2025 58m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 8 - Episode 160 What happens when you combine a fine arts degree with police leadership? Chief Chad Kasmar of the Tucson Police Department demonstrates how creative thinking transforms modern policing challenges into opportunities for innovation. Kasmer's journey from beach bum to nationally recognized police leader reveals the unexpected value of diverse perspectives in law enforcement. With refreshing candor, he shares how his background in painting and sculptur...
• Dr. David Weisburd - Police Need Cookbooks, Not Just Theory - George Mason University 09.09.2025 55m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 9 - Episode 160 What if police departments made decisions based on solid evidence rather than gut feelings? Dr. David Weisburd, a dual faculty member at George Mason University and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has spent decades proving that scientific approaches can revolutionize policing. From his unexpected start evaluating one of America's first community policing programs in 1984, Weisburd discovered something remarkable: crime isn't random. His groundbreak...
• Bruce O'Brien - From New Zealand to London: Policing Without Borders 26.08.2025 56m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 8 - Episode 159 When criminal networks operate across continents, police must work beyond borders. In this compelling conversation with Assistant Commissioner Bruce O'Brien, we explore the critical world of international police collaboration from the perspective of someone building these vital connections daily. As New Zealand Police's Senior Liaison Officer in London, O'Brien bridges law enforcement across four regions: the UK, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. He...
• From Italy to US: Police Commander's Journey - Diego Zannella - Lake Forest Park, WA Police 12.08.2025 59m

  The CopDoc Podcast- Season 8 - Episode 158 Ever wonder what American policing looks like through the eyes of someone trained in European military special forces? Commander Diego Zanella offers that rare perspective, having journeyed from Italian paratrooper to American police commander. His story isn't just about cultural transitions—it reveals universal leadership truths that transcend borders. Born and raised in Florence, Zanella moved to Seattle at age 31 with minimal English skills...
• Erik Smith - Colonel, Kansas Highway Patrol - Be Hard on Problems, Soft on People 29.07.2025 54m

  Season 8 - The CopDoc Podcast - Episode 157 Colonel Eric Smith's journey from Boeing sheet metal mechanic to leading the Kansas Highway Patrol reveals what transformative police leadership looks like in action. After a chance encounter with a sergeant led him to volunteer as a dispatcher, Smith found his calling in law enforcement, spending nine years with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office before joining DEA for 21 years, eventually rising to high-ranking leadership positions. When Smith ...
• From Boston to LA: Jim McDonnell - One Chief's Journey Through Three Departments 15.07.2025 59m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 8 - Episode 156 Chief Jim McDonald's journey in law enforcement reads like a masterclass in adaptive leadership. From his bold decision to leave Boston for Los Angeles with just $400 and two suitcases to his current role leading one of America's largest police departments, McDonald exemplifies how stepping beyond comfort zones catalyzes professional growth. The conversation reveals McDonald's approach to leadership transitions across three major departments ...
• Dr. Mike Marquardt: The Power of Questions: How Great Leaders Ask Instead of Tell 01.07.2025 55m

  The CopDoc Podcast - Season 8 - Episode 155 What if the most powerful leadership tool isn't having all the answers, but asking the right questions? Dr. Michael Marquardt, after studying leaders across 50 countries for over five decades, discovered a surprising pattern—the greatest leaders in every field share one fundamental skill: they ask exceptional questions. In this thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Steve Morreale, Marquardt challenges traditional notions of leadership, part...