On Being a Police Officer Ep. 80 - SFPD Deputy Chief Jim Dudley on 32 years policing in San Francisco, from the crack epidemic to open drug use and reflections on the challenges and rewards of the profession today.
Ep. 80 - Joining me is Jim Dudley, host of Police1’s acclaimed podcast Policing Matters. Jim was with the San Francisco Police Department for 32 years, rising to the rank of Deputy Chief. He takes us back to policing in San Francisco in the 1980s and walks through how the profession — and crime itself — evolved over the decades, from the crack epidemic to today’s open drug use and reforms impacting law enforcement like reducing felony charges to misdemeanors. He reflects on his time as an Investigator in the Bureau of Inspectors, working cases ranging from burglary and property crimes to domestic violence, assaults, and serious violent offenses.
Jim also speaks candidly about the critical incident in which he used deadly force to save his own life and his partner’s during a struggle with an armed suspect. We discuss the reality of being investigated after a fatal use-of-force incident, the emotional toll that follows, and how that experience shaped his leadership style when supporting officers navigating their own critical incidents.
Since retiring in 2013, Jim has continued serving the profession as the host of Policing Matters and as a criminal justice instructor at San Francisco State University, where he has taught for 14 years. We touch on a topic of particular interest to me and that is the impact criminal justice professors can have on framing the national narrative on policing.
Thank you, Jim.
I also want to thank the listeners who I mention in the episode: @Luv fitness pal and @Emandagat01left very kind words in their five-star reviews on Apple podcasts. It means a lot to me.
Here’s where you can find Jim and Policing Matters:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/policing_matterspodcast/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimdudley1946/
My interview with Jim Dudley on “Policing Matters”
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©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org