Inside The Fight Against Child Exploitation – Leadership And Wellness Lessons From Debbie Garner

Oct 1, 2025

42:30

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Debbie Garner, retired Special Agent in Charge at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to share insights from her 30-year career. From undercover narcotics work in her early 20s to leading Georgia's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Debbie brings a unique perspective on collaboration, child protection, and investigator wellness.

She discusses the challenges of cyber tips backlogs, the importance of cross-border cooperation, and why well-being must be built into the culture of child exploitation investigations. Debbie explains how she introduced practical, budget-conscious wellness initiatives — from group discussions to peer support and mental health check-ins — and how these efforts helped transform trust, retention, and resilience within her unit.

Debbie and Paul also explore the stigma investigators often face, how leadership decisions can make or break support for officers, and what agencies can do to better safeguard the people safeguarding children.

#DigitalForensics #DFIR #WellBeing #LawEnforcement #childprotection

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00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

00:49 Early Career in Law Enforcement

02:11 Specialization in Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes

03:27 Challenges and Changes in Law Enforcement

06:03 The ICAC Task Force Program

09:34 Cross-Border Investigations and Cooperation

14:46 Wellness and Resiliency in Law Enforcement

18:01 Building a Culture of Wellness

28:16 Personal Stories and Agency Support

39:57 Final Thoughts and Advice