
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop
Steve Kellams



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Training with Jim Glennon
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop
06/29/22 • 43 min
Training, you are going to hear a lot about training in this season’s episodes. It’s the cornerstone of good police work and unfortunately, we don’t get it when we need it. There are lots of reasons why and we are going to explore those and other training topics on this episode with our interview of Lt. Jim Glennon.
Jim started with the Lombard Illinois Police Department in 1980 and held many positions at the department. In 1998 he became the first Commander of the Dupage County Major Crimes Task Force. He also holds a BA in Psychology and a master’s degree in Police management. He acquired Calibre Press in 2012 and today provides training through books, newsletters, seminars, online training, and in-person training.
Jim took the time to talk with me about the current state of training, the problems with training, and some insight into issues facing law enforcement today.


2 Listeners

Halloween Special: Creepy Conversation
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop
10/18/23 • 6 min
This is our fourth annual Halloween Special and it's a doozy. Ever had one of those creepy encounters that just set the hair on the back of your neck straight up. Usually we just move on and forget about them, but sometimes they can really spook you.
In this episode we hear the real true story of a creepy conversation that took a dark turn quickly. Dim the lights and settle in for another true Halloween story.


2 Listeners

Reform Must Start with Training!
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop
06/15/22 • 21 min
Training.
We have talked about it several times on this show. And we are going to talk more about it today. Police reform is a hot button topic today with legislatures all over the US passing law enforcement bills and police reform bills in an effort to improve the professionalism of policing.
But they are missing the mark.
The bills are focusing on specific topics like choke holds, which have been outlawed for decades, and de-escalation, which people struggle to define. Instead of specific topics we need to reform the overall training concepts found in police department across the country and get politicians and administrators focused on the real challenge, proper training.
This episode will focus on the challenges departments face when trying to train their officers and what we need to focus on to improve training for police across the US. We will also hear from Chief Ed Gebhart with the Fishers Police Department in Fishers Indiana and Major Nick Luce with the Indiana University Police Department.

1 Listener

Why be an FTO?
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop
07/13/22 • 19 min
What is an FTO?
Well, you should already know by now because you should have gone through an FTO program when you hired on the job. You mean you didn’t have an FTO program? You mean they just handed you the keys to the car, a map, and said call me if you have any problems?
Unfortunately, this is all too familiar.
Now what do we mean by Field Training Officer Program? It is simply an on-the-job training program that assists with the on-boarding and training of brand-new officers to the police department. It does this by having the new officers ride every day with a trained trainer called a Field Training Officer or FTO who teaches, mentors, trains, evaluates, councils, facilitates, and leads the new officer until they have proven they are capable of doing the job by themselves. The Field Training Program ensure that every new officer on the department has the skills and training necessary to do the job. Many people look at this as the first step in a police officer’s career, but the reality is it’s the last step in the selection process. There is no better way to ensure that someone can do the job then having them do the job.

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In the Line of Duty
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop
11/11/21 • 14 min
In this episode of Blue Canary we will discuss the FBI LEOKA project and the issues regarding officers killed in the line of duty.

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The Five Best Cop Movies
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop
08/24/22 • 18 min
I thought we would have a little bit of fun this episode and break down the five best cop movies for you night owls. Back in the day you had to buy these on VHS, yes, I am that old, or DVD. But, today with streaming services you can probably find this without too much difficulty.
Before we get into the list here are a few caveats. First these are based on my personal opinion, just because I am right doesn’t mean some of you out there can’t be wrong. I am also not a professional reviewer so the things I am looking for might be very different from what you will find in any Rotten Tomatoes reviews. Finally, we have to recognize that we are reviewing Hollywood Movies.
Hollywood, you know that place that doesn’t particularly like cops and while it has made billions off our profession it never gets it right. Even in some of these movies I am going to talk about they don’t get it right. These just happen to be ones they get more right than others. And as far as political beliefs go, well let’s just say if I based my television viewing habits on political beliefs, I would start by throwing the TV out the window. Watch for fun and enjoyment.

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The National Police Force
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop
09/21/22 • 18 min
I have worked with most of the federal agencies at one time or another and for the most part the individual agents were great. Dedicated professionals working hard to solve the cases. I always appreciated the resources they could bring to a case.
But the moment I had to deal with one of the “Guys in Charge” things tended to take a turn for the worst. The higher up the administrative ladder you went the ideas and goals of what you were all trying to accomplish would change very quickly.
The biggest problem is that the needs, desires, and decisions made in Washington DC do not necessarily coincide with the issues on the ground in Iowa. But that hasn’t stopped a historical push for a National Police Force and let me explain why that is NOT a good idea.
So, what is a national police force. A national police force is an organization run by the central government of a country with the purpose of providing police services such as enforcing the laws and ensuring health and safety to the people of that country. We’ve got King Louie the 14th to thank for that. In 1667 he created the first national police force in France. Since then, we have seen National Police Forces in many countries around the world. Today national police forces are common in places like France, Japan, Spain, Indonesia, the Netherlands, the Philippians, and dozens of other small countries. We also see variations on the National Police Model with Territorial Police in the United Kingdom and Canada.
Since it is so common it must be a good idea. And, when you take it at face value there does seem to be benefits from the concept. First, you get a force that is nationally funded. The deep pockets at the national level would far outweigh any small towns budgets so the national force should have all of the necessary resources. Secondly you get to control hiring and training. This way you could ensure that all of the officers are trained and ready to do their jobs. Lastly this central organization would be more efficient, and you wouldn’t have to worry about duplication of efforts. All in all, a good move, right?
Wrong?
At least for the U.S.

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Challenging Leadership with Dr. Jack Enter
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop
06/19/24 • 53 min
I had been a sergeant for about 6 years before my agency sent me to my very first leadership class. I didn’t know what to expect and honestly, I thought it was going to be a waste of time. I mean I had been an informal leader on night shift for years as the old guy and the FTO. When they promoted me to sergeant, they obviously didn’t think leadership was important because they didn’t bother to send me to any training. So, I wasn’t very interested.
This story could have had a very different ending, but the leadership training they did send me to was put on by Bill Westfall.
Bill Westfall is an amazing instructor and one that really lit the fire under me to be an effective leader.
Since then, I began reading every leadership book I could get my hands on, from historical works to books by business leaders. I also took as many leadership classes as I could find, a few of them I took on my own dime and my own time.
So, when I tell you my guest on this episode is one of the very best teachers in leadership,
I’m not kidding.
Jack Enter has been associated with the field of criminal justice since 1972 when he began his career as a law enforcement officer. Since that time, he has worked as a street police officer, detective, vice/narcotics investigator, manager, and as the administrator of a law enforcement agency in the suburbs of Atlanta. Jack obtained his Ph.D. in 1984 and has served as a professor and administrator in the university setting and served as one of the planners of the security component of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. He has lectured throughout the United States and abroad on Leadership as well as Profiling Interpersonal Violence and The Future of Crime and Policing. He has authored two books Challenging the Law Enforcement Organization (2006; Revised 2022) and Law Enforcement Leadership in the Midst of Change (2022).

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Mourning Bands
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop
09/20/23 • 14 min
There isn’t an easy answer to the origin of the black mourning band. The use of black clothing to show that the wearer is in mourning for the loss of a loved one, can be traced all the way back to ancient Rome, where the traditional white toga would be replaced with a black toga pulla. Over the centuries and in various cultures white and black have battled it out for dominance as the prevailing color for mourning however in the 14th century, Christian Churches had made the wearing of black at funerals a common custom. the 19th-century artist and professor F. Edward Hulme, explained the color black at funerals showed “the spiritual darkness of the soul unillumined by the Sun of righteousness.” By the 14th century, it was widely associated with death.
What arguably set the color black aside for funerals was its expense. To get the deep dark color of black required multiple rounds of dyeing. Black clothing simply cost more than other colors and funerals; specifically important funerals were theater in the day. It was an opportunity to show off, make a political statement, and impress your peers and commoners alike. As Katie Thornton of the Atlantic put it; Funerals were the red carpets of the early modern era.
The funeral of Queen Elizabeth the First in 1603 solidified black as the color of mourning. While black has become a more common color over the years and much less expensive it still has a historical connection with death and to this day is the most common color associated with mourning.
While the wealthy and political were trying to one-up each other in the black clothing department the military found itself with a conundrum. Early military uniforms were colorful. The bright clothing helped differentiate the fighters on the battlefield. It helped build cohesion and recognition on the smoke-filled landscape. Uniforms were at their most glorious during the Napoleonic era in Europe. Bright colors, gold buttons and ribbons, silver braids and polished leather. The uniforms were intended to display authority, power, status, and glamor.
They were everything but black.
To allow for proper mourning while still wearing the uniform of the day the black armband as adopted. By adding a black armband to the uniform, the wearer was able to convey the appropriate honor and respect for the deceased while still being gloriously appointed in the dress uniform of the day. The black armband was quickly adopted by anyone who had a specific uniform to wear during the funeral rights. We still see the black armband worn today by sports teams wishing to show their respect of a lost member or important person.
For law enforcement the practice of wearing a black armband quickly morphed into wearing a black band over the officer’s badge. Today it is common practice for law enforcement officers to wear a black band over the badge to pay respects to fellow officers who died in the line of duty.

The War on Cops
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop
05/31/23 • 16 min
There are a lot of people, including those in our profession that don’t like to hear the phrase “War on Cops”. They feel it will promote the Us vs Them mentality and broaden the divide between the working police officer and the public they serve.
In 2014 Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown after Brown violently attacked him. That’s right, contrary to what you have heard from the media, social justice pundits and professional athletes the investigation, evidence and grand jury all agree that Darren Wilson was Michael Browns victim and that the shooting was in self-defense.
This incident sparked a year of national protest focusing on police and police brutality and the public attack against police and policing in America.
In 2016 Heather McDonald, a Thomas W. Smith Fellow of the Manhattan Institute and a conservative political commentator wrote The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe. In this book she coined the term Ferguson Effect and detailed that affect while looking at the history of anti-police movements and decarceration activism. This really jump-started the conversation on violence against police officers.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop have?
Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop currently has 69 episodes available.
What topics does Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop cover?
The podcast is about Law Enforcement, Training, Society & Culture, Society, History, Personal Journals, Courses, Podcasts, Education and Police.
What is the most popular episode on Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop?
The episode title 'Halloween Special: Creepy Conversation' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop?
The average episode length on Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop is 24 minutes.
How often are episodes of Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop released?
Episodes of Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop?
The first episode of Blue Canary: For Cops By a Cop was released on Apr 13, 2020.
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