When we talk about officer safety, our minds often go straight to firearms and physical confrontations — but one of the deadliest threats doesn’t come from an armed suspect. It comes from traffic. Every year, roadway incidents rank among the top causes of line-of-duty deaths for law enforcement. And while the risk is constant, many agencies still approach this hazard with outdated training, inconsistent protocols and little coordination across departments.

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley sits down with Jack Sullivan, Director of Training for the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, to discuss the state of roadside safety for law enforcement officers. Sullivan, a veteran in the field of traffic incident management, shares alarming statistics, real-world stories and actionable strategies to reduce risks — from engineering fixes and digital alerting systems to cross-agency coordination.

This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

When a man called 911 in 2015 to report his girlfriend had been kidnapped and he’d been drugged and tied up, police didn’t believe him. The story was too strange, too cinematic — bearing uncanny resemblance to the plot of the movie “Gone Girl.” But the real twist was how wrong law enforcement got it. This episode of the Policing Matters podcast revisits the harrowing true story of Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn, and how Lieutenant Misty Carausu of the Alameda County (California) Sheriff’s Office helped expose the truth buried beneath doubt, missteps and missed connections.

Lieutenant Carausu recounts how a routine assignment to assist with a home invasion investigation in Dublin, California, led her to a suspect whose belongings – from ski masks to zip ties – raised red flags. But it was a strand of blonde hair tucked inside a pair of blacked-out goggles that shifted the course of the case. That single piece of evidence, paired with Carausu’s determination, ultimately linked the suspect, Matthew Muller, to the high-profile kidnapping of Denise Huskins. PLUS, Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges joins the conversation to share how his outreach to the victims and renewed investigation helped uncover new crimes linked to the suspect.

This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Communities across America strive for safer streets and stronger connections between police and residents, but few achieve transformative success. Once labeled the nation's most violent city per capita, San Pablo, California, dramatically reversed its trajectory by combining targeted technology investments with proactive community engagement. Through strategic use of automated license plate readers, video cameras and innovative AI tools, San Pablo PD has become a leader in public safety technology integration, seeing a remarkable 80% reduction in crime over a decade.

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley welcomes Chief Brian Bubar of the San Pablo Police Department, who shares insights from his rise through the ranks, the evolution of his agency, and the powerful impact technology has had on crime reduction and community trust. Chief Bubar details how strategic communication, thoughtful policy-making and embracing technological advances positioned San Pablo as an exemplar for agencies nationwide seeking similar outcomes.

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