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Can you imagine being the only female in your police academy class? How about the instructor telling you that you shouldn’t be in the classroom and instead should be giving him a blowjob? Or being a rookie cop and being formally disciplined for egregious violations like failure to take a hint or having your feet too far apart for a female? Resilience and grit. Those are the words that come to mind when I interviewed today’s guest, retired Police Sergeant Betsy Brantner Smith of the Naperville Police Department.

These are just some things she had to endure at the beginning of her over 29-year police career. The conclusion of this interview will air next Sunday!

A little about Betsy: Betsy Brantner Smith started her career in law enforcement as a dispatcher when she was 17. Four years later, she began a 29-year career in a suburban Chicago department.

During her time as a cop and sergeant, she worked undercover in multi-jurisdictional agencies in Chicago and other areas around the city. She was also in charge of the K9 unit, FTO, and various other jobs, including investigations.

She wrote the book, The Ten Code: 10 Law Enforcement Principles for Victory in Life: Police Techniques for Personal Achievement.

Betsy has also been a dedicated trainer in law enforcement for years.

Today, Betsy is the spokesperson for the National Police Association, a non-profit organization focused on supporting law enforcement through education, advocacy, and legal action.

Please enjoy this sometimes shocking, fascinating, and genuine interview with someone who endured and overcame, making the lives of future female cops much better.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

· Will the Bears win the Super Bowl?

· Growing up on a farm in Illinois.

· Learning her amazing work ethic as a young teen from her parents.

· The influence of her father being an auxiliary sheriff's deputy.

· She and her dad working together on the local sheriff’s mounted posse.

· Why she chose the Naperville PD and not the Chicago PD.

· Her senior year in high school becoming a full-time police dispatcher.

· Facing shocking discrimination in the police academy and how she dealt with it.

· Almost getting fired for trumped-up charges like standing with her feet too far apart for a woman, and failure to take a hint.

· Her first day on the job and her first time going out solo on patrol.

Head on over to the National Police Association website.

Head on over to my website to learn more about me and my books!

Check out my newest book! Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos & Life as a Big City Cop!

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon.

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

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With historical shortages in law enforcement, today's departments have to find ways of augmenting positions that were traditionally filled by sworn law enforcement officers. One option is to have civilians working these jobs. On today’s show, we will be highlighting the trend in crime scene investigations being civilianized. Some departments have embraced this a long time ago, having 100% civilians in this role, have a blend of civilian and sworn, or have dug in their heels and refuse to have civilian Crime Scene Investigators.

On the show today, I have two Crime Scene Investigators from the Prince George’s County Police Department.

William “Bill” Greene, who was hired as one of the first civilian C.S.I.s 42 years ago, and Frank Carson, who served as a sworn law enforcement officer with distinction for 35 years, and after retirement, went back to his department as a civilian C.S.I.

Bill and Frank both have incredible pedigrees that would take up most of the hour we have for the show. Frank has worked as a detective, a fatal crash investigator, a C.S.I., and other valuable roles with his department.

Bill has a very long list of impressive credentials and 42 years of investigating just about every type of crime imaginable.

Please enjoy this conversation with two pros as we map out the future of law enforcement.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

· Frank rejoins the ranks of the police department as a civilian C.S.I. after a long and distinguished career as a sworn officer.

• Bill being one of the first civilian C.S.I.’s for the department.

· 35mm cameras were used in police work before digital cameras.

· The role of C.S.I. at a major crime scene in different departments.

· Bill working on the case of the nurse who was suspected of killing at least ten of her patients before being arrested for murder.

· Bill working the Len Bias death case.

· The book, Never Suck a Dead Man's Hand by Dana Kollmann.

· The future of civilians working in law enforcement.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Head on over to my website to learn more about me and my books!

Check out my newest book! Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos & Life as a Big City Cop!

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon.

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this Last episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast bonus series, retired Milwaukee Police Sergeant Patrick O'Donnell reads Chapter 26, "The Howells vs. Pam From The Office," from his book:

Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos, & Life as a Big City Cop

BIG NEWS: The book launched yesterday and is LIVE NOW on Amazon (Kindle + Paperback).

After weeks of heavy stories - triple homicides, kidnappings, dying declarations - tonight's different.

It's a snowy Milwaukee night. A head-on collision in the middle of an intersection. A rookie cop who barely knows what he's doing. And three very different people.

The Howells - a wealthy couple in a Jaguar XJ12 who looked like they stepped off Gilligan's Island. Thurston, in his expensive suit, Lovey in her full-length fur coat, demanding arrests.

Pam - a young woman in a little black dress with piercing green eyes and blood-red lipstick. Fresh from an office Christmas party, now with a four-inch gash on her forehead.

And a busybody nurse with a scowl for a facial covering who wanted to be a cop more than Patrick did, armed with a syringe and ready to draw blood.

Sometimes being a rookie means pretending you know what you're doing. Even when you're making the sign of the cross with a red pen and calling it a sobriety test.

All stories are real. Names and locations have been changed where necessary.

🎧 This episode includes:

• Two-car head-on collision at Lafayette and Lake Drive
• Nissan Sentra vs. Jaguar XJ12 - both totaled
• The couple who looked like Thurston and Lovey Howell from Gilligan's Island
• The young woman who looked like Pam from The Office
• Lovey: "I demand that you arrest that young girl! Obviously, she's been drinking!"
• Mrs. Howell: "Look at her! Her little party dress, her hair, and makeup. She was definitely partying tonight!"
• "If I'm going to investigate it as alcohol-related, I'll have to have your husband perform field sobriety tests."
• "My wife has had a bit too much to drink and isn't thinking clearly."
• The nurse: "I sure hope you're taking her in for drunk driving! I'll draw the blood for you!"
• "Aren't you a little helper?" Patrick thought
• The last time Patrick did an HGN test was at the police academy a year ago - he forgot how to do it properly
• Patrick winked at Pam: "Just go along with it."
• The nurse stomped her feet: "I can't believe this! I'm calling your sergeant!"

📘 About the Book:
Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos, & Life as a Big City Cop is a true crime memoir chronicling Patrick O'Donnell's early career as a big city cop during Milwaukee's crack wars in the 1990s.

Book Launch: LAUNCHED YESTERDAY - LIVE NOW!
Book Status: Available on Amazon NOW (Kindle + Paperback). Already climbing the charts.

🔗 Get your copy NOW: Search "Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell" on Amazon or check the link below.

📧 Contact Patrick:
Email: sarge@copsandwriters.com
Website: copsandwriters.com
Facebook Group: Cops and Writers

👍 If this story stuck with you:
Subscribe, leave a review, and grab your copy of the book on Amazon.

If you read it, please leave an honest review - launch week reviews make a huge difference.

🎙️ This is the FINAL bonus chapter. Next week, we're back to regular programming with guest interviews.

Thank you for riding along these past weeks.

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