Feb. 12, 2025

It Starts with Integrity

It Starts with Integrity
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Season 4 Mahoning Valley

In this episode, we present Jeff Cole, a military veteran and captain in the City of Warren Police Department. Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, Captain Cole shares his inspiring journey from life in Youngstown to law enforcement and everything in between. Throughout this episode, you will hear a common theme of dedication, structure, and integrity—values we all can appreciate.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

  • Captain Cole’s life journey from Youngstown to becoming a captain 
  • Importance of mentorship
  • Challenges faced in law enforcement
  • Building trust and transparency in the community 
  • Reflections on the evolution of policing
  • Attending the FBI National Academy for Leadership Development 
  • Advice for aspiring police officers
  • Captain Cole's “One Word”

So press play and be moved by Captain Cole's inspiring story. Ladies and gentlemen, Sound United Presents... Captain Jeff Cole! 


Be sure to subscribe wherever you vibe with podcasts or visit our website. www.soundunitedpresents.com

Sound United Presents is a community-focused podcast powered by Sound United Podcast Studio. Produced by Kimberly Gonzales and D. Lee Scott

00:12 - Local Heroes and Law Enforcement Stories

13:40 - Military to Law Enforcement Career Path

22:47 - Career Progression and Achievements

36:11 - Community Policing and Diversity Initiatives

49:15 - Life Lessons and Career Advice

56:24 - Podcast Production and Studio Services

WEBVTT

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Hello, ladies and gents, welcome to Sound United Presents, a diverse and inclusive podcast focused on local entrepreneurs, professionals and unsung community heroes.

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Within each episode, our guests will candidly share their stories filled with triumph, failures, humor, lessons learned, insight and some nuggets of wisdom.

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I'm very excited about this and I hope you are too.

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Let's get started.

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Hey folks, thank you for hitting the play button.

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Welcome to another episode of Sound United Presents, done here in the friendly confines of Sound United Podcast Studio.

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I'm your host, d Lee Scott, but I will say Deshaun Scott too, because my mother don't like that first version, so I'm also Deshaun Scott, for those who don't like that.

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And welcome my guest today.

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I would have to say that we probably spoke, spoke more over the last probably year or so, and collaborative type atmosphere for some things that we'll be able to talk about later, but I've known of him, fortunately.

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I've known of him and didn't have to deal with him, so that's a good thing there too.

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So, but when I think of him and what he does, you know, sometimes I like to have these words, you know these descriptors, adjectives and I'd say gentlemen, dedicated, humble leadership, and I do have to say humor, because we joked about a few things too.

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So I have to add that in, and you'll feel the same way and more, as I present to you, ladies and gentlemen, captain Jeff Cole, welcome to the podcast, sir.

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Hey, man, it's a pleasure being here, and you got that radio voice.

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This is going to be good.

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This is going to be good here.

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Let's get it All right.

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Well, you know, I like to get the guests just a second to kind of bring the audience a little snapshot of, and that because we're going to dive into a lot of stuff.

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So tell us about yourself a little bit.

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Okay, yeah, again, jeff Cole.

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I'm a captain with the Warren City Police Department.

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Been here in my 31st year, got hired in February of 94, originally from Youngstown, Ohio, so I didn't grow up here in Warren.

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I didn't know that you didn't.

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No, I thought you was born and raised, born, in Ohio.

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You ain't going to kick me off the show, are you Folks?

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Thank you for tuning in.

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No, no, no, absolutely not, yeah, bro, absolutely not.

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Born and bred in Youngstown man South side of Youngstown.

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Graduated in 1981 from South High School, pr 81 from South High School, proud warrior.

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Immediately after high school I enlisted in the Army.

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National Guard and then the United States Air.

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Force.

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So yeah, whoa, yeah, yeah, yeah Okay.

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Big military interest very, very young, and I know we're going to get into that a little bit later.

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But yeah, I went to the military, ended up in the Air Force, did 10 years, traveled around the world overseas three times, so it was a good 10 years, wow, yeah, yeah.

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So right after the Gulf War, you know, I had to make a decision whether I was going to stay and do 20, you know, for full retirement, or get on with my life and get into something civilian.

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So you served in the Gulf War too?

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Yeah, man.

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Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah.

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See folks, I learned stuff new here too yeah.

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So that was a rough time in life but you know, a lot of people experienced the same things I did and I'm grateful for you know from where I am today, you know.

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After going through that, so yeah, 10 years in, I decided, you know what, it's time to step out back into the civilian world.

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And I brought it back home.

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Wow, you know I was going to make my life in Texas but you know I said, ah, time to go home.

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You know it's the third time Texas done came up today for me Wow, I don't know if it's something calling me to Texas or whatever.

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One of our previous guests, garrett Matlock we was Pastor Matlock, we were talking about some stuff off mic.

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He was leaving Texas came up, and Dallas in particular, and then I got a call from a friend early this morning which was weird, but he was like you were on my mind and you ever thought about relocating.

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And I'm like it's six o'clock in the morning like, and you on the west coast, what was that?

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What you doing, you know?

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And he was like, nah, man, I just think you know, da, da, da, da da.

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Texas, wow, yeah.

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And then you, I don't know man, I'm calling your name.

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I don't know what that is.

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I wear cowboy hats, but I don't you know so what did you do in the Air Force?

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I let you take a guess.

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So brought pilot.

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Come on, man, Law enforcement.

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I was like well, you know.

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Yeah, I was a law enforcement specialist in the Air Force, Okay, and now you know that was policing.

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Just, military police, that's a common name for it, Military police.

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Okay, and now you know that was policing just military police.

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That's a common name for it Military police.

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Okay, but you know, Air Force, we special, so we call it the law enforcement specialists.

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Yeah, because y'all like to talk?

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Oh yeah, you know people.

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We aim high.

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You know we aim high.

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Well, and then I thought you know that's why I said like okay, wait a minute, pilot, or something like that.

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Nah Wow, I used to tell people I was a pilot because they think everybody in the Air Force is a pilot, but nah.

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I was just an old cop man Nah, nah yeah just regular law enforcement Patrol.

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You know we did have sentry duties.

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You know the gates, you know entry into the gate.

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But yeah, for 10 years, man, I was an Air Force cop.

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Okay, yeah, despite my question, because, listen, I tell people when I mess up, so I, you know.

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I was like how was life in Warren, ohio?

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But you're Youngstown, yeah, so how was life in?

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Youngstown.

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Well, I grew up in a, and I'm not trying to throw shade at it now, but it was before it turned into the big crime area.

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So growing up in Youngstown was great.

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I grew up in Adore Park I don't know if you're familiar with that.

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Oh yeah, the amusement park yeah, spend every day in Mill Creek Park.

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Didn't have to be home before the streetlights was on because it was OK to be out, so just growing up was great man.

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Yeah, my stepdad.

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Well, he was my dad.

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I call him that, his, his father.

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They stayed on Idora.

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OK.

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And we used to go there it seemed like every other Sunday or something like that.

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So you know that was my experience, like going to youngstown, but I adore a park.

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I still say the best fries was at outdoor park everybody I know put vinegar on their fries because of I'll put them in the spray bottle.

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Yeah, absolutely.

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And that little silver ride that I forgot, the rocket or something scrambler.

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It went around and the only thing I didn't like was the roller coasters.

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I did the jackrabbit one time, that's's all it took.

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The people who got on that Wildcat because that water was back there.

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Just put me in the haunted house, the teacups and the spider.

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Don't forget about the Lost River too.

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Great times growing up in Youngstown.

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We had still the great things the Vaughn E Rogers Football League.

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I was a part of that.

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I played for the Little Penguins.

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Barney Rogers Football League you know, I was a part of that.

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I played for the Little Penguins and the Boys.

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Youngstown Boys Club, boys and Girls Club grew up there.

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So you know hey back in the day, Youngstown.

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I'm not saying it's not now.

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Yeah, I mean, it was a different time though.

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Even here for me growing up, you know it was just a different time.

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You know what I mean.

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Where did you go to?

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So in Youngstown?

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Where did you go to elementary school?

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I went to Cleveland Elementary School that was located on Princeton.

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Then for junior high I went to Princeton Junior High School, which was located on Princeton, and then on to South High School.

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Okay, so all of your places you went to school are no more, are they?

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That is correct.

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Okay, I never even thought of that.

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But there's some new energy going on right now at South High School.

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Yep, they're doing some phenomenal things and I think they got a community thing going on on August 10th.

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Okay, it's going to be real big out here.

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Do you stay engaged with what goes on there?

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I mean, was it the warrior you said?

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Yeah, okay with, with what goes on there.

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I mean, was it?

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The warrior was you said yeah, okay, not you know through social media.

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Okay, you know, I that's how I'm following it.

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I'm not active in any, any other activities, but okay, yeah, I just know through social media so how was, uh, you know, like going through high school was you in trouble a lot.

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I feel like you might have had a little bit of trouble.

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No, I was a good kid man, what I was a?

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Well, there were at least two years of high school.

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Okay, I was a bookworm.

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Okay, right, good grades and all that.

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You know.

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A senior year kind of cut loose a little bit, got a little wild, but for the most part, no trouble.

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You know no trouble at all.

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Matter of fact, fact, our assistant principal was from young warren.

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From warren, miss carol hooks, and she got something to deal with my.

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You didn't get out of line with miss hooks, and those people that know her know exactly what I'm talking about, know exactly what I'm talking about so did you?

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what type of activities did you?

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Did you any activities in high school sports?

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sports, no sports in high school.

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I did that in junior high, but, like I say, high school I was pretty academic, you know.

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And then like leadership clubs, you know senior clubs and things like that, cool clubs Okay.

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Those are the key clubs.

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Come on, it's club man Okay.

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I'm telling on myself here.

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no, but you you make parents proud.

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Sure, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, you wasn't skipping class, like like me, or finding ways.

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Well, you know, I mean, was there certain classes you know, outside of the ones you mentioned?

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Did, did, um, you know, were you in any, any favorite classes, like home, ec, anything like that?

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Was you?

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Not home ec.

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I'd have to say my favorite class in school was typing, and I know that sounds crazy.

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It does, but go ahead.

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Well, first of all, we had a pretty teacher.

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That's all it takes.

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And I can really really type, you know, and it helps me on my day-to-day job right now.

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So I just have to say type it.

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So can you type without looking?

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Oh yeah, oh man, I remember I was in middle, I was going to Trumbull Business College and we had this instructor and we was learning them Smith Coronas.

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You know the typewriter and I had to use Mavis Beacon because I was one of the ones that would just like.

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She was like you're gonna get good at it, you won't even have to look, and I'm like I don't know what you're talking about, like it just wouldn't work.

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She's like you need to go get mavis beacon it was this type of program.

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I know what it is yeah, I got this typing program.

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I mean I was like, okay, you know, and I followed it and and now you know, every now and then I mess up, but now I can type without looking, without looking all fingers, all these fingers I have like certain fingers I use.

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Okay, right that that you know.

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I mean that some of them I still can't but um, but for someone to say typing was their favorite class, I'm very, that's honorable, yeah.

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Yeah, I thought she's gonna say like wood shop, metal shop, something like that no, well, if I was a carpenter, maybe.

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But like I say, man, my job consists of reports and all that.

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And that's what I do all day.

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So if I had to look back and say what did I learn back then?

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That serves me best.

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Now I would say typing.

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Did you have a dream career?

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Growing up as a young person, did you aspire to be a certain career, profession?

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I'd say military.

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When I was in the eighth grade, my brother enlisted in the Army.

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He was graduating boot camp from Fort Knox, Kentucky.

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I went down there to visit him and watch the graduation.

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It took me about 15 minutes to tell my mom hey, this is that, this is what I'm going to do.

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Wow, I said I'm ready to drop out of school.

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Oh, you was ready to do it.

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Then I was ready, man, eighth grade.

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I'll never forget this, yeah, yeah.

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I was just really intrigued by the structure.

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You know, it was a bunch of guys standing around, a bunch of soldiers standing around.

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Drill sergeant say, hey, soldier, come here.

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About started to say hey, soldier, come here.

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About 20 dudes took off running.

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I said that's gonna be, that's all gonna be that dude, you know well, just early age.

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And that's why, like when I enlisted in the army national guard, I was still in.

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I was still in school when the recruiter came to the school and it sounded good to me.

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It was the first military offer.

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So I jumped on it.

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Uh, but yeah, went in there and didn't realize it's part-time and I, you know, I wanted that full-time experience.

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So I had to aim high, go to the air force so what?

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okay, army, navy, air force, marines.

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Why?

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Why air force?

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I mean, I'm sure the, I'm sure the, the education, you know, the was, was a plus.

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Ironically, you know I wanted to go full-time army but then they was going to change my job.

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It made me an infantry man.

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I said no, I'm doing that and the air force guy was across the hall saying come here, I guess I got a better offer for you.

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Oh wow, you know, I know that's what they do.

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Yeah, you know, and he made me an offer I couldn't refuse did you consider the navy?

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no, no, okay, the Navy.

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No, no, okay, I like the water, but not that much.

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You know, Air Force was the pretty, probably the best thing.

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One of the best things I did for my life was to enlist in the Air Force.

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Like I said, good structure, discipline, education and craft.

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Did you have any?

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You know you made up your mind it was the eighth grade or so.

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This is what you want to do, but did you have any other experiences or mentors that helped you, influenced you more?

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That that was the path, because you talk in eighth grade and I mean a lot could happen Like okay, that was eighth grade, but now maybe in 11th grade or something you detour, but is there any?

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Well, I'd say, first of all, you know, as far as mentor I say my brother, you know his older brother.

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I always looked up to him.

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I still, to this day, I still do what's his name Dave Cole.

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Ok, dave Cole, shout out to you.

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Yeah, all right.

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So you know he would come home and he'd always have something Army-ish.

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You know, give me this.

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You know, bring it.

00:14:28.764 --> 00:14:31.586
You know, show me he was overseas, show me his reel-to-reel.

00:14:31.586 --> 00:14:35.866
You know, just, it was just the way, the great way of life for the military.

00:14:35.866 --> 00:14:47.770
But then, like I say, when the recruiter came to the school and met him, and then you know he stayed in touch with me through my senior year because immediately after graduation, you know, off I went.

00:14:47.770 --> 00:15:00.434
So just that, and you know my desire, just my desire to go, you know it's a blessing when you land in something that you know.

00:15:00.634 --> 00:15:09.937
you know what you want to do at a certain age and throughout your life you're doing something close to that and you land in something that you're doing what you thought of doing and wanted to do, you were doing that.

00:15:09.937 --> 00:15:13.599
It's like I always wanted to run my own business.

00:15:13.599 --> 00:15:20.004
I just didn't know.

00:15:20.004 --> 00:15:30.192
You know high school or middle school and cinnamon sticks, flavor cinnamon sticks, or the boys life, you know, trying to sell christmas stuff in july for boys life magazine on the back.

00:15:30.192 --> 00:15:33.836
You know we'd be the only black family so I'd hire the, I'd hire they.

00:15:33.975 --> 00:15:39.990
I used to call them bow and luke, uh duke, because uh, bobby moldovan had brown hair and this dude named john had blue hair.

00:15:39.990 --> 00:15:41.322
We were the only black family.

00:15:41.322 --> 00:15:55.653
But what I did and we think maybe every now and then we might have clashed with racism or something, but it was minimal but I would give them a nickel to go sell these door to door so I could get these prizes off the back.

00:15:55.653 --> 00:16:02.450
Because I knew at that time, like man, everybody smiles when they see them, not that I was treated different, but you know, you got blue eyes and blonde hair.

00:16:02.919 --> 00:16:08.822
I'm going to give you a and for every one you sell, and then you can go to inksters and buy you some candy and just just sell this stuff.

00:16:08.822 --> 00:16:09.664
You know like that.

00:16:09.664 --> 00:16:12.312
And so I sell christmas cards and all that.

00:16:12.312 --> 00:16:12.941
You know, here I am.

00:16:12.941 --> 00:16:16.068
So I look at it like man, that's a blessing, yeah, to be what you.

00:16:16.068 --> 00:16:17.111
You know what you're doing now.

00:16:17.111 --> 00:16:19.926
So you, you serve.

00:16:19.926 --> 00:16:24.956
You decide that you ain't doing the 20, you're going to come to civilian life.

00:16:24.956 --> 00:16:29.659
Yeah, what happened before you became law enforcement for the city of Warren?

00:16:29.659 --> 00:16:32.392
How did that happen that time frame there?

00:16:32.633 --> 00:16:33.416
Okay, yeah.

00:16:33.416 --> 00:16:41.682
So you know, the Air Force came, or the military itself came, to a time where, right after the war, they got downsized.

00:16:41.682 --> 00:16:54.331
Because you know enlistment is always up during war, because you know a lot of people want to serve the country honorably, so they offered a voluntary separation incentive which is, you know, really just trying to get people to get out.

00:16:54.331 --> 00:17:02.043
So, ironically, the Ohio State Highway Patrol was having a minority recruitment hiring process.

00:17:02.043 --> 00:17:04.429
So I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

00:17:04.429 --> 00:17:12.634
I jump on a plane, come home, I take the tests, I'll go through the batteries of you know physical, the testing, the psychological.

00:17:13.059 --> 00:17:16.509
They say I passed everything you know, say I was ready to go.

00:17:16.509 --> 00:17:21.385
I told them, okay, I got to make a decision to get out of the Air Force and I was cool with it.

00:17:21.385 --> 00:17:24.151
I said, okay, I'm gonna make the the move, so I get out.

00:17:24.151 --> 00:17:29.669
Come on, take my polygraph that was down in Marietta, ohio, and I flunked it.

00:17:29.669 --> 00:17:31.744
They say I flunked it.

00:17:31.744 --> 00:17:33.406
That's like subjective though, right.

00:17:33.406 --> 00:17:38.948
Well, I don't know, I'm not a polygrapher so I can't say whether it's subjective or not.

00:17:38.948 --> 00:17:40.932
Professionally, right, right.

00:17:48.500 --> 00:17:50.686
So I, right, right, so I know what I called it at the book, what I did at the time.

00:17:50.707 --> 00:17:53.535
I won't say that we can bleep stuff out nothing about well, you know.

00:17:53.556 --> 00:17:54.838
nevertheless, I flunked it.

00:17:54.838 --> 00:17:59.167
Yeah, I had a conversation with with the polygrapher we had.

00:17:59.167 --> 00:18:12.152
We had a disagreement at the time I was giving it, so I understood that when I got the letter to say I was dismissed or disqualified, at that point, you know, they offered me the opportunity to come to Columbus and review it.

00:18:12.152 --> 00:18:14.547
You know I wasn't going through all that.

00:18:14.547 --> 00:18:23.769
So now I'm upset with my decision, you know, getting out, because that influenced me to get out, because you know coming home to a job is something I wanted to do.

00:18:23.769 --> 00:18:28.767
So now I'm scrambling, disappointed, getting my car.

00:18:28.767 --> 00:18:30.560
So first, police department.

00:18:30.560 --> 00:18:31.804
I see I'm signing up.

00:18:31.804 --> 00:18:34.892
This is the oddest truth.

00:18:34.892 --> 00:18:45.647
So I get in the car, I drive down the street and I'd never seen this sign before and it says Mill Creek Police Department.

00:18:45.647 --> 00:18:48.443
Never heard of that.

00:18:48.443 --> 00:18:49.446
But it's Mill Creek.

00:18:49.446 --> 00:18:50.611
I live up the street.

00:18:50.611 --> 00:18:52.988
I go inside, say hey, I want a job.

00:18:54.539 --> 00:18:56.067
You know they say you want a job.

00:18:56.067 --> 00:18:57.204
I say, yeah, I want a job.

00:18:59.164 --> 00:19:05.131
I talk to the chief Chief, comes out, meet him, say hey, you know I'm here to apply for a job.

00:19:05.131 --> 00:19:08.349
He said well, you got to go down to Park Recreations for that job.

00:19:08.349 --> 00:19:14.061
I said, wait a minute I said I want to be the police, right, right.

00:19:14.061 --> 00:19:19.751
And he's like oh, and I didn't say this, you know, I was like 180 pounds, you know.

00:19:19.751 --> 00:19:22.323
So I guess I didn't look police material at that.

00:19:22.323 --> 00:19:27.228
I was kind of slim, you know, park Recreation down there yeah.

00:19:28.060 --> 00:19:29.406
So we laughed about that.

00:19:29.406 --> 00:19:37.432
We sat out and talked Chief Nate Pinkert and, to this day, our mentor that's my police mentor.

00:19:37.432 --> 00:19:39.086
I know we talked about mentorship.

00:19:39.086 --> 00:19:51.342
Yeah, those guys pretty much has influenced my career the whole time through, because, you know, he offered me employment the day I graduated the police academy.

00:19:51.342 --> 00:19:53.005
Words out of his mouth, words out of his mouth.

00:19:53.005 --> 00:19:55.087
You get your test results.

00:19:55.087 --> 00:19:59.993
Come see me the next day, shirt and tie, and he hired me on the spot.

00:19:59.993 --> 00:20:11.269
Wow, it was a part-time job, you know, and as soon as I got started I'd already applied for WARN because I had a friend of mine who was working here, officer Gary Riggins.

00:20:11.269 --> 00:20:13.984
Sergeant, retired Sergeant Gary Riggins.

00:20:13.984 --> 00:20:26.205
He had duped me into filling out an application because I really didn't want to do city police you know I was taking baby steps in this.

00:20:28.282 --> 00:20:32.606
First it was military, then I go on the freeway, too much happening.

00:20:32.606 --> 00:20:39.949
But he had conned me into filling out this application and so it turned out to be the best thing to happen.

00:20:39.949 --> 00:20:51.344
But yeah, so I spent a little time with Chief Pinkert at Mill Creek and you know, once I got hired at time with Chief Pinkert at Mill Creek and you know, once I got hired at Warren, you know he blessed that and we kept in touch.

00:20:51.344 --> 00:20:57.464
He retired, he became the Youngstown City Councilman and I think he's you know, retired through that.

00:20:57.525 --> 00:20:59.865
Yeah, yeah, but that was my place.

00:20:59.865 --> 00:21:03.406
When I had a problem here in Warren, I'd drive right back to Mill Creek.

00:21:03.827 --> 00:21:05.028
Talk to your mentor.

00:21:05.028 --> 00:21:06.567
Yeah, I can appreciate that.

00:21:06.567 --> 00:21:08.068
Yeah, I can appreciate that.

00:21:08.068 --> 00:21:10.450
So you get hired at Warren.

00:21:10.450 --> 00:21:14.570
You come in, as I don't know the position, just a patrolman, okay so patrolman?

00:21:14.590 --> 00:21:21.032
Yeah, a probationary patrolman, which means you know you got to perform well for a year.

00:21:21.032 --> 00:21:26.055
They can let you go within that year for just cause or no cause.

00:21:26.055 --> 00:21:27.214
Okay, you know.

00:21:27.214 --> 00:21:30.276
So the first year is really the tough year.

00:21:30.276 --> 00:21:35.657
You have a field training officer, Somebody's training you and basically telling you what to do.

00:21:35.657 --> 00:21:39.699
You know that's anywhere from four to nine months training.

00:21:39.699 --> 00:21:48.825
Then you do like three months on your own and that's pretty much the toughest part of it is proving you can do the job.

00:21:48.825 --> 00:21:55.028
The beginning, yeah, kind of like boot camp definitely definitely a boot camp, yeah, and that wasn't so.

00:21:55.048 --> 00:21:58.580
That was in february of 94, right, right, because we talked off mic.

00:21:58.580 --> 00:21:59.984
I was like, oh, I remember 94.

00:21:59.984 --> 00:22:02.760
That's my daughter, that's how I remember, because she was january.

00:22:02.760 --> 00:22:03.682
Right, it's close.

00:22:03.682 --> 00:22:03.903
Right.

00:22:03.903 --> 00:22:08.313
So you started as a patrolman and you're a captain now, right.

00:22:08.313 --> 00:22:09.880
So I don't want to blur nothing.

00:22:09.880 --> 00:22:14.511
How was it going from the patrolman to the captain?

00:22:14.511 --> 00:22:16.928
Tell us about that a little bit, your experience with that?

00:22:18.502 --> 00:22:23.534
Well, I think my situation is way different, especially for African-Americans.

00:22:23.534 --> 00:22:26.827
When I got to the police department, there were no African-American supervisors.

00:22:27.189 --> 00:22:27.430
Okay.

00:22:27.650 --> 00:22:27.851
None.

00:22:27.851 --> 00:22:36.848
You know there was only one African-American, not within the patrol division, just within the specialty, and that was Morris Hill.

00:22:36.848 --> 00:22:43.165
He was still in the police department and I was probably his replacement Because I got hurt in February.

00:22:43.165 --> 00:22:47.185
He retired in May, so it was just different.

00:22:47.185 --> 00:23:08.871
I was in patrol and then I'm sorry Officer Riggins worked a narcotics investigation when I first got hurt and because he got injured on duty after I had a year on, I took his spot in narcotics investigation and did that Still a patrolman.

00:23:08.871 --> 00:23:12.996
Immediately after that I got switched to the detective division.

00:23:14.164 --> 00:23:25.479
You know I was investigating homicides, financial crimes you know, and that was very rare for almost for anybody, you know, just to come in that quick, get assigned to the investigative unit.

00:23:25.479 --> 00:23:32.758
So you know, being in the military, when promotions come up, you just gear up for that.

00:23:32.758 --> 00:23:38.018
So I think it was 2000, 2001.

00:23:38.018 --> 00:23:40.471
I think that's when I got promoted to sergeant.

00:23:40.471 --> 00:23:42.709
Yeah, the study and that's just.

00:23:42.709 --> 00:23:44.153
You know what you do.

00:23:44.153 --> 00:23:46.911
When it's promotion time, you know you go for it.

00:23:46.911 --> 00:23:50.153
Yeah, so I did that and I was made sergeant.

00:23:50.153 --> 00:23:57.593
I was then assigned as the internal affairs officer, so that was a test of my career.

00:23:58.545 --> 00:24:04.935
Now, because I got to, so you're kind of like the bad guys.

00:24:04.935 --> 00:24:08.453
Depends on who you're asking Movie watching.

00:24:08.453 --> 00:24:12.492
I'm only going by movies so I don't know, but I always remember movies like Eternal Affairs.

00:24:12.644 --> 00:24:14.853
You know they're like oh, you know that type of thing.

00:24:15.325 --> 00:24:18.387
But y'all you know it's hard to be liked.

00:24:19.409 --> 00:24:20.269
That's the cliche.

00:24:20.550 --> 00:24:20.750
Yeah.

00:24:20.990 --> 00:24:23.374
That's the cliche Instead of internal affairs.

00:24:23.374 --> 00:24:27.278
You know, like you said, it goes back to movies.

00:24:27.278 --> 00:24:28.259
You know you snitch.

00:24:28.259 --> 00:24:33.203
You know it's like snitching, but probably one of the better assignments I had.

00:24:34.086 --> 00:24:35.652
I had three simple rules.

00:24:35.652 --> 00:24:38.894
Number one I didn't file a complaint on you.

00:24:38.894 --> 00:24:44.405
Number two, I never caused you to do what it did, what you did to have you come see me.

00:24:44.405 --> 00:24:46.394
And number three don't shoot the messenger.

00:24:46.394 --> 00:24:48.250
And I lived by.

00:24:48.250 --> 00:24:49.232
That Sounds fair to me.

00:24:49.232 --> 00:24:52.769
You know, hey, whatever brought you to my office you did.

00:24:52.769 --> 00:24:54.315
It Wasn't my fault.

00:24:54.315 --> 00:25:02.227
But no, you know, we're a small, medium sized police department and you know I'm fair and impartial.

00:25:02.227 --> 00:25:05.412
I've never lost a friend, never.

00:25:05.412 --> 00:25:22.519
You know, never heard too many bad words, but you know, probably didn't say it to my face, but I'm sure I may have ruffled a feather or two, but it was all just based on me doing my job correctly and I was strict about that.

00:25:22.519 --> 00:25:23.492
I was strict about that.

00:25:23.492 --> 00:25:24.124
I was strict about that.

00:25:24.124 --> 00:25:31.679
And one of the biggest rules is in internal affairs, you never give credit to the police officer because he's a police officer.

00:25:31.679 --> 00:25:34.050
You got to look at it 50-50.

00:25:34.452 --> 00:25:37.211
Okay, yeah, so you know I stuck to that.

00:25:37.211 --> 00:25:39.066
And so internal affairs.

00:25:39.066 --> 00:25:41.166
And then he wasn't a captain, then I was a sergeant.

00:25:41.166 --> 00:25:43.028
Okay, he wasn't a captain then.

00:25:43.209 --> 00:25:44.088
I was a sergeant.

00:25:44.088 --> 00:25:45.891
Okay, yeah, I was a sergeant.

00:25:45.891 --> 00:25:49.772
I think I made lieutenant within that time as well.

00:25:49.772 --> 00:25:58.940
Okay, when I made lieutenant, then they moved me back to the criminal investigative division where I was the officer in charge of that.

00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:02.603
So it's almost like I had worked there and now I'm supervising it.

00:26:02.603 --> 00:26:07.912
Okay, which was great.

00:26:07.912 --> 00:26:09.434
Department of Justice is here.

00:26:09.434 --> 00:26:25.278
I have to go back to Internal Affairs to help with that process, because Internal Affairs plays a big role in that process, and that was a hefty assignment right there, getting it in compliance with the settlement agreement.

00:26:25.278 --> 00:26:34.276
Immediately after that it was like, oh, just, you know, pressure counted mounting on me, you know, like fed up with it.

00:26:34.276 --> 00:26:38.536
So the chief said do you want to sit down for a while?

00:26:38.536 --> 00:26:40.790
Didn't know quite what that meant.

00:26:40.790 --> 00:26:42.308
I want to sit down for a while.

00:26:42.308 --> 00:26:43.152
Like we were about to get meant.

00:26:43.152 --> 00:26:44.275
I was about to get suspended.

00:26:44.365 --> 00:26:45.651
Yeah, that sounds kind of broad to me.

00:26:47.325 --> 00:26:48.672
I'll say what you got in mind.

00:26:48.672 --> 00:26:54.218
And he says we need a school resource officer supervisor.

00:26:55.566 --> 00:27:08.657
And I say school resource officer, wait a minute you put me in the schools, I was like, so I had to be told no, or I had to be told what to do.

00:27:08.657 --> 00:27:10.790
So I said, well, sure, I'll take that assignment.

00:27:10.790 --> 00:27:16.391
And, sean, I tell you, you know, and I'm being totally honest with you, I had no reason to make this up.

00:27:16.391 --> 00:27:19.761
I wish I had done that 15 years prior.

00:27:19.761 --> 00:27:35.830
Taking that assignment, being able to work in the schools, one of the best assignments I ever had Wow, you know, working with the kids, getting to know the kids, you know, not only do you learn the kids, well, once you know the kids, you know the parents, you know.

00:27:35.830 --> 00:27:46.071
Yeah, so I met more people as a school resource officer for two years than I probably did for 10 working, investigations and things like that.

00:27:46.071 --> 00:27:58.507
So well, it was a great assignment, man, and, you know, made some great relationship with these kids, the younger people, because I was working in high school and it was just, overall, great experience.

00:27:59.127 --> 00:28:03.479
I remember when I was in high school and I showed up for class.

00:28:03.479 --> 00:28:04.982
Who was it?

00:28:04.982 --> 00:28:06.046
I'm trying to remember?

00:28:06.046 --> 00:28:07.429
I remember officer.

00:28:07.429 --> 00:28:10.695
I think it was Bansky and Callahan.

00:28:10.695 --> 00:28:12.186
They were the two, Okay.

00:28:12.207 --> 00:28:12.407
Yeah.

00:28:12.971 --> 00:28:16.084
And they had an office right by the hallway, by the stadium at the time.

00:28:16.084 --> 00:28:20.832
I haven't been to Hardin years but I know you went down this hall, I would pass the wood shop and you'd have to go down this hallway to get outside to the parking lot.

00:28:20.832 --> 00:28:21.295
Okay, man, I'd be trying.

00:28:21.295 --> 00:28:23.305
I would pass the wood shop and you'd have to go down this hallway to get outside to the parking lot.

00:28:23.305 --> 00:28:26.094
Ok, man, I'd be trying to escape, to skip class.

00:28:26.094 --> 00:28:27.751
They'd be right there all the time.

00:28:27.751 --> 00:28:29.833
You know I'm just going to my car to get something real quick.

00:28:29.833 --> 00:28:34.372
You know I'm out of there, but you know that was my time frame with them.

00:28:34.553 --> 00:28:35.034
OK.

00:28:35.315 --> 00:28:35.955
Seeing that there.

00:28:35.955 --> 00:28:41.134
Yeah, what lessons did you learn as you progressed up the ladder to captain?

00:28:41.134 --> 00:28:43.538
You got any lessons that just really stuck with you.

00:28:45.046 --> 00:28:48.355
I would say just what I said about the school resource officer getting to know people.

00:28:48.355 --> 00:28:54.792
This is a tough job to do anyway, because it's policing, and policing in modern-day society is hard.

00:28:54.792 --> 00:29:06.694
So the lessons I learned is that the more you get to know people, the more people trust you as a police officer, police sergeant, lieutenant, captain, the easier it is for you to do your job.

00:29:06.694 --> 00:29:09.920
You know and then you trust them.

00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:12.332
Come on, I grew up on the South Side.

00:29:12.332 --> 00:29:15.535
I know how you know life can be for some.

00:29:15.535 --> 00:29:18.352
You know I kind of grew up with that attitude.

00:29:18.352 --> 00:29:24.805
You know anti-policing, so you know I can relate from both sides.

00:29:24.805 --> 00:29:31.750
So when I say you know, get to know people, let them get to know you, not only on you know the police side.

00:29:31.750 --> 00:29:35.938
But hey, see me at the festival not working it.

00:29:35.938 --> 00:29:37.888
Get to know the real me.

00:29:37.888 --> 00:29:38.691
See me at the mall.

00:29:38.691 --> 00:29:39.452
I shop at the mall.

00:29:39.452 --> 00:29:40.375
I go to Giant Eagle.

00:29:40.375 --> 00:29:50.167
You know I don't run from this community because I place it?

00:29:50.188 --> 00:29:54.557
you know, yeah, I live here and I, you know, this is where, this is where I hang out, yeah, yeah, is there a rewarding experience, like something that just really stands out now?

00:29:54.557 --> 00:30:01.931
These promotions are rewarding and and you know you having a good heart, I mean I think audience can hear that um, so, those are rewarding experiences.

00:30:01.931 --> 00:30:06.578
But is there something that just you know proud, that you're super proud of?

00:30:06.765 --> 00:30:20.913
Yeah, yeah, I'd have to say this In 2014, 2014, I got accepted to attend the prestigious Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy in Quantico Virginia, in Quantico Virginia.

00:30:20.913 --> 00:30:22.065
Now why is that so prestigious?

00:30:22.065 --> 00:30:33.044
You know only 10% of police officers in this entire world I'm talking Japan, africa, everywhere.

00:30:33.255 --> 00:30:36.740
Yeah, because you just said world, you didn't say United States, you said world.

00:30:37.221 --> 00:30:38.987
France, wow, germany.

00:30:38.987 --> 00:30:46.559
I met law enforcement executives from across the world, session 257.

00:30:46.559 --> 00:30:47.463
I'm proud of that.

00:30:47.463 --> 00:30:52.887
If you come to the office or if you ever see me on a Zoom call and you see that brick that says 257.

00:30:53.877 --> 00:30:59.497
Oh, okay, yeah that's what that is's a 10-week uh executive law enforcement course.

00:30:59.497 --> 00:31:00.679
It's grueling, you know.

00:31:00.679 --> 00:31:05.528
You got a six and a half mile run in obstacle course.

00:31:05.528 --> 00:31:07.759
It's networking.

00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:17.587
You know, just two weeks ago I had had two friends up from out of town on a golf golf trip, or from that that I met during that, okay.

00:31:17.667 --> 00:31:18.731
I was going to ask if you.

00:31:18.731 --> 00:31:20.661
Oh yeah, we keep in touch.

00:31:22.257 --> 00:31:25.165
We just had a national conference in Missouri.

00:31:25.165 --> 00:31:35.585
I didn't have the opportunity to attend it but yeah, that was probably the proudest moment, you know accomplishment getting accepted there In the world In the world.

00:31:38.174 --> 00:31:39.961
Yeah, you know, accomplishment and getting accepted there in the world in the world.

00:31:39.961 --> 00:31:45.723
Yeah, and I and I and I I gotta give a shout out to a couple other officers in our department to chief chief merkel, he has it, and lieutenant brian holmes, he has it as well.

00:31:45.723 --> 00:31:51.616
Uh, so there's only three active in our department that had it wow, it's great, it's a great experience.

00:31:51.616 --> 00:31:54.039
Yeah, how long was it it's?

00:31:54.059 --> 00:31:54.559
10 weeks.

00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:58.144
What hit me was that six mile run.

00:31:58.243 --> 00:32:00.586
Oh yeah, well, it's not only the run, it's the.

00:32:00.586 --> 00:32:03.229
They call it like the tough mutter.

00:32:03.229 --> 00:32:05.471
You got to offer horses in between.

00:32:05.471 --> 00:32:15.859
And you know I did it at 52 years old, so the average age down there is like 30, you know, oh yeah, You're showing them up.

00:32:15.859 --> 00:32:17.079
I did it as an old man.

00:32:18.678 --> 00:32:19.502
I made it, though.

00:32:19.502 --> 00:32:34.833
You know throughout your, so you have some you know, you have some longevity in this career, and so you've seen a lot, and just in your experience, I can only imagine what are some of the biggest challenges facing law enforcement today.

00:32:34.853 --> 00:32:37.039
Okay, yeah, that's a great question.

00:32:37.039 --> 00:32:40.502
Well, I'd say interdepartmental.

00:32:40.502 --> 00:32:42.407
You know it's recruitment and retention.

00:32:42.407 --> 00:32:54.198
Ohio, warren, the country, is having a problem getting people interested in the law enforcement career field and, if you do, keeping them or fail.

00:32:54.198 --> 00:33:02.607
And if you do keeping them, a lot of police officers are department shopping and departments are in the market for it.

00:33:02.607 --> 00:33:09.238
They're offering incentives, signing bonuses and we're just almost swapping police officers.

00:33:09.238 --> 00:33:15.789
I'd say within the past year we've probably hired seven lateral officers who've come from different departments.

00:33:15.789 --> 00:33:18.083
So recruitment and retention is big.

00:33:18.083 --> 00:33:25.138
It's really a big thing right now, I'd say, for law enforcement in society.

00:33:25.138 --> 00:33:34.430
Unfortunately, you know, it seems to be the same narrative, you know, with the recent police shooting of Sonia Massey in Illinois.

00:33:34.430 --> 00:33:35.490
Yeah, yeah.

00:33:35.915 --> 00:33:39.721
Those are the things that you know set us back, you know, 50 years.

00:33:39.721 --> 00:33:40.845
Yep, you know.

00:33:40.845 --> 00:33:46.298
So that that remains the challenge how do we stop that?

00:33:46.298 --> 00:33:49.344
How do we, you know, train people better?

00:33:49.344 --> 00:33:50.586
How do we screen better?

00:33:50.926 --> 00:33:54.098
so do you like with the retention and recruitment?

00:33:54.098 --> 00:33:54.839
Because I do.

00:33:54.839 --> 00:33:59.068
You think it's something that changed that as a generation?

00:33:59.068 --> 00:34:02.182
I mean because, like I said, when I grew up I wanted to be.

00:34:02.182 --> 00:34:12.965
You know I didn't wind up obviously being, but you know it used to be a time when you know, firemen police officer I think doctor was in there but as far as the force go, firemen police officer usually police officer and firemen.

00:34:20.335 --> 00:34:22.338
No disrespect to my fireman, but it was kind of in that order police officer, fireman.

00:34:22.338 --> 00:34:24.864
Yeah, they tried, they tried to change the script here, but they're trying to move, yeah, the position up.

00:34:24.884 --> 00:34:26.887
Yeah, yeah but you know, is it?

00:34:26.887 --> 00:34:29.217
I mean, I don't know, is it just the?

00:34:29.217 --> 00:34:30.902
You think it's just a lack of interest?

00:34:30.902 --> 00:34:32.186
Do you think media plays a part?

00:34:32.266 --> 00:34:37.126
I mean, yeah, well, it's a lot of things, like the incident with Miss Massey.

00:34:37.126 --> 00:34:39.121
We had George Floyd Yep.

00:34:39.121 --> 00:34:42.916
You know a lot of police shootings, you know.

00:34:42.916 --> 00:34:46.306
I don't want to name any specific movement yeah, absolutely.

00:34:46.306 --> 00:34:50.034
Come on, within the past 10 years there's been an anti-police movement, absolutely.

00:34:50.034 --> 00:34:55.371
You know we've had protests in the city of Warren during the George Floyd incident, protests in the city of.

00:34:55.451 --> 00:35:01.208
Warren during the George Floyd incident, youngstown had the same thing.

00:35:01.208 --> 00:35:03.239
It's hard to be the police.

00:35:03.239 --> 00:35:13.603
It's hard to be the police these days and just that negative attention that we've drawn to ourselves through media, social media.

00:35:13.922 --> 00:35:16.715
Especially social media, especially going through that, you know.

00:35:16.715 --> 00:35:19.824
I wanted to ask a question too, because I was interested in this.

00:35:19.824 --> 00:35:35.884
How did it so, when you told family now I'm just talking about us black folks keeping the bill, like I'm going to be a police officer, like I mean, was it, you know, like yes, I'm sure maybe the close family like yes, or was it like man, why you want to be no?

00:35:38.315 --> 00:35:38.956
Like how was that?

00:35:38.956 --> 00:35:42.085
Well, you know, my mom was proud of me, no matter what I do.

00:35:42.085 --> 00:35:45.563
My dad wasn't having it.

00:35:48.054 --> 00:35:48.516
He was like man.

00:35:48.536 --> 00:35:54.657
I'll get you a job at General Motors tomorrow, because you know he spent 30 plus years out at GM.

00:35:54.657 --> 00:35:56.539
He's like I'll get you out there tomorrow.

00:35:56.539 --> 00:35:57.039
You know, I said no man.

00:35:57.039 --> 00:36:00.664
That's what I want to do with my brother, you know, because he got out of the Army.

00:36:00.664 --> 00:36:02.266
He's back here in Youngstown.

00:36:02.266 --> 00:36:02.927
He's like man.

00:36:02.927 --> 00:36:05.369
No, he's like what are you doing, right?

00:36:11.942 --> 00:36:13.487
You know, we grew up playing cops and robbers.

00:36:13.487 --> 00:36:14.612
I was always the robber.

00:36:20.635 --> 00:36:22.802
I was trying to always the the rock yeah, so yeah um, but listen, I got it.

00:36:22.802 --> 00:36:25.472
You know my um, you know I had children and, uh, you know something I could be proud of, they can be proud of?

00:36:25.472 --> 00:36:30.702
Yes, you know me for um, so immediately, you know it kind of grew on them.

00:36:30.702 --> 00:36:35.329
It grew on them, you know, yeah, so okay, I was.

00:36:35.449 --> 00:36:36.378
I was curious about that.

00:36:36.378 --> 00:36:38.016
I was like, why didn't I ask that question earlier?

00:36:38.016 --> 00:36:39.362
But I was very curious about that.

00:36:39.362 --> 00:36:48.898
Yeah, bridge, bridger or bridge was another word that I didn't that I forgot to use because, as, as we've sat in, you know certain things committee meetings, something like that.

00:36:48.898 --> 00:36:51.485
You, you have this ability and you kind of spoken it of.

00:36:51.485 --> 00:36:55.242
You know you can see things from from both sides sides.

00:36:55.242 --> 00:36:56.105
It's like a bridge.

00:36:56.105 --> 00:36:56.987
That's the way I look at it.

00:36:56.987 --> 00:37:00.262
How do you maintain so?

00:37:00.262 --> 00:37:06.463
When we talk about trust, how do you, how do you work to build and maintain trust between the police department and the community for you?

00:37:07.766 --> 00:37:08.467
Transparency.

00:37:08.467 --> 00:37:11.902
That's the biggest thing I can think of.

00:37:11.902 --> 00:37:12.936
We have to be.

00:37:12.936 --> 00:37:17.364
The police department has to be transparent, okay, you and you think of.

00:37:17.364 --> 00:37:22.454
We have to be the police department has to be transparent, okay, and you have to know this community.

00:37:23.695 --> 00:37:25.458
You can't police a community that you don't know.

00:37:26.179 --> 00:37:28.043
Right, you know it isn't the military.

00:37:28.043 --> 00:37:31.489
You know it's not that mission, that's not our mission.

00:37:31.489 --> 00:37:34.155
We're here to serve the community.

00:37:34.155 --> 00:37:38.079
So you can't serve the community if you don't know them.

00:37:38.079 --> 00:37:39.820
And that's what I say.

00:37:39.820 --> 00:37:41.802
I try to get out and know people.

00:37:41.802 --> 00:37:58.818
You know, people seem to know me and just being transparent, providing the community what they ask of you, instead of just trying to go out, write parking tickets, speeding tickets and on.

00:37:58.818 --> 00:38:03.918
So, you know, looking for drugs, that's, that's part of the job, but that's not the main part of the job.

00:38:03.918 --> 00:38:07.628
Yeah, the main part of the job, and I'm a firm believer in serving people.

00:38:07.628 --> 00:38:14.846
Yeah, you know, and, and I believe, once you do that, once you bridge that gap, you know, become personable.

00:38:14.846 --> 00:38:17.916
You know, yeah, see me at the mall.

00:38:17.916 --> 00:38:23.806
See, you know, see me a giant eagle you know conversation right things going.

00:38:24.226 --> 00:38:29.023
I remember, um, growing up and uh, you know, every now and then throw a football.

00:38:29.023 --> 00:38:32.478
You know, just, it wasn't, it was throwing a football.

00:38:32.478 --> 00:38:34.887
Or you know butter hands, remember?

00:38:34.887 --> 00:38:35.751
I can't remember his name.

00:38:35.751 --> 00:38:36.695
He was born a police officer.

00:38:36.695 --> 00:38:42.842
He just called me because I couldn't catch it and I'd be like, well, he threw it right because he threw ducks, yeah, and he'd like call me butter hands or something you know.

00:38:42.842 --> 00:38:45.824
But I'll never forget that we just talked Throw the football.

00:38:45.824 --> 00:38:50.480
You know it was nothing major.

00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:55.626
And then when he they ride by and you know they'd be like it's getting late, you know that kind of thing.

00:38:55.626 --> 00:38:56.467
So it wasn't nothing.

00:38:56.467 --> 00:38:58.610
You know, like F, you don't tell me what to do.

00:38:58.610 --> 00:38:59.570
We had a relationship.

00:39:00.275 --> 00:39:00.557
Sure, sure Like.

00:39:00.577 --> 00:39:06.023
I'm just out here hanging out you know, what I mean Like mm-hmm, you know and that, and so it was a different time.

00:39:06.023 --> 00:39:07.559
I don't know if that happens now.

00:39:07.559 --> 00:39:20.891
It probably does working or something like that, but I do think some type of community connection right, Some type of just engagement, you know, makes things a lot easier.

00:39:20.911 --> 00:39:40.289
Yeah, and I say this, you know, and maybe it's because I am getting older, you know, it seems like our younger police officers are more susceptible to have these good relationships because they don't, they're not aware of bad policing and I say this all the time publicly is that you know?

00:39:40.289 --> 00:39:53.023
Yeah, we went through this Department of Justice consent degree or settlement agreement, but the issues that caused that they weren't even born or they were too young to know what it is.

00:39:53.023 --> 00:39:59.920
So when we went through this, these problems, that through these problems that we had in the police department, they don't know anything about it.

00:39:59.920 --> 00:40:01.639
They don't know anything about it.

00:40:02.021 --> 00:40:02.242
Sure.

00:40:02.576 --> 00:40:09.728
They're a different generation and it's a I'll say and it's my opinion, it's a better generation for policing.

00:40:09.728 --> 00:40:14.746
I think race relations are better than they were back then.

00:40:14.746 --> 00:40:18.197
And again, that's just my personal opinion.

00:40:18.197 --> 00:40:19.838
Yeah, I think race relations are better than they were back then.

00:40:19.838 --> 00:40:21.159
You know, and you know again that's just my personal opinion?

00:40:21.159 --> 00:40:27.403
Yeah, but it's a different breed of police out here the younger, more friendlier, more apt to relate better.

00:40:27.403 --> 00:40:29.545
You know, I grew up.

00:40:29.545 --> 00:40:32.728
You know blacks were on this side and whites were on this side.

00:40:33.248 --> 00:40:38.012
Yeah, you know that's come on man, those days seem to be ending.

00:40:38.012 --> 00:40:39.152
It's a new era, it is.

00:40:43.452 --> 00:40:53.980
It is when I think, captain, leadership you've spoken about leadership in your roles, as in, you know, with the military, law enforcement and you know, with captain I'm sure you have people that are under you.

00:40:53.980 --> 00:40:59.894
You know that type of thing what strategies have you found most effective in leading your team and maintaining morale?

00:40:59.894 --> 00:41:09.568
Because I think sometimes you know obviously not a police officer, never been anything, but I think morale you can get beat up, you know being labeled and thrown into a boat of that.

00:41:09.568 --> 00:41:12.804
How do you keep the leadership and the morale up in your department with you?

00:41:16.936 --> 00:41:18.909
Well, first of all, you have to have situational leadership.

00:41:18.909 --> 00:41:19.675
You know, transformational leadership.

00:41:19.675 --> 00:41:30.516
Yeah, I'm the boss, but you have to believe your people can do the job and you, you have to give them the opportunity to fulfill their job.

00:41:30.516 --> 00:41:49.288
So as far as, like my, my lower level supervisors, I give them full authority to act and do what they need to do, which thus increases their morale Okay, I'm, I'm high on respect respect and adults, and this is something.

00:41:49.288 --> 00:41:52.315
These are some of the problems I went through when I was a young officer.

00:41:52.315 --> 00:41:53.449
Nobody respected you.

00:41:53.449 --> 00:41:53.951
I got hurt.

00:41:53.951 --> 00:41:54.974
I was 30 years old.

00:41:54.974 --> 00:41:57.871
You know they tell me sit in the car and don't touch that.

00:41:57.871 --> 00:41:59.175
I'm a grown man.

00:41:59.175 --> 00:42:01.853
You know I'm a grown man 30, telling you yeah.

00:42:02.465 --> 00:42:05.916
You know they take the keys out of the cars Two degrees outside.

00:42:05.916 --> 00:42:07.150
You're telling me to sit in the car.

00:42:07.150 --> 00:42:12.076
What it was, the hazing portion of it?

00:42:12.076 --> 00:42:14.230
Well, I'm too old for that, dude Rookie.

00:42:14.230 --> 00:42:19.231
We ain't doing that, you know, and those days are long gone.

00:42:19.231 --> 00:42:28.079
And morale for our younger officers comes because they get the respect of just being a police officer, being an adult.

00:42:28.079 --> 00:42:33.833
You know, like I say, that was old school thinking and we just don't do that anymore.

00:42:33.833 --> 00:42:41.371
But yeah, as far as leadership, hey, transformational, I hold you accountable to do your job.

00:42:41.371 --> 00:42:44.751
I give you full authority to do it, but I'm going to hold you accountable.

00:42:44.931 --> 00:42:50.835
Yeah, yeah, and it works, it works very well.

00:42:50.835 --> 00:42:54.088
How important is representation and diversity in the police force in your opinion?

00:42:54.088 --> 00:42:55.954
Oh, in my opinion it's huge.

00:42:56.445 --> 00:43:09.637
You know, I teach community diversity and procedural justice at the police academy, and so studies say that your department should make up the community.

00:43:10.726 --> 00:43:11.251
And that's tough.

00:43:12.286 --> 00:43:17.454
That's tough because you've got different aspects of the community as far as race, religion and things of that nature.

00:43:17.454 --> 00:43:25.492
Since I've been on the Warren Police Department, getting it to look diverse is a little tough.

00:43:25.492 --> 00:43:26.817
It has been.

00:43:26.817 --> 00:43:31.916
You know there's been some initiatives throughout those years.

00:43:31.916 --> 00:43:45.159
You know the city put them on and I compared a lot to Youngstown Police Department because their department looks way different than ours, you know, in terms of race, gender.

00:43:45.159 --> 00:43:55.835
You know they seem to attract a more diverse crew and I don't understand it because you know I teach the police academy, they all know me.

00:43:55.835 --> 00:43:58.913
I'll tell them to come to Warren, right, you know?

00:43:58.913 --> 00:44:14.954
But then you know I find out, hey, they went to Youngstown Police Department and that could be too, because you know we're not saying that YPD isn't, but we're very by the book and that's due to the Department of Justice settlement agreement.

00:44:14.954 --> 00:44:16.844
So we do things a little different.

00:44:17.425 --> 00:44:52.139
But yeah, getting back to the question, yeah, diversity is tough, but I believe you know and I work hard to do that Diversity is tough, but I believe you know and I work hard to do that we kicked off an initiative with Kent State Trumbull Police Academy for some recruitment, minority recruitment issues, some incentives that we could put in and, as a matter of fact, the academy starts here next month and I believe we do have one young African-American male we're looking to bring into our ranks as soon as he completes it.

00:44:52.139 --> 00:44:58.418
We do things like we'll pay for your police academy upon completion.

00:44:58.418 --> 00:45:03.336
So that's just an initiative, because it's hard to come up with the money to pay for police academy.

00:45:03.336 --> 00:45:09.255
So in turn we'll pay for it, help you with those costs and get you on.

00:45:09.255 --> 00:45:10.498
So that's a good incentive.

00:45:10.557 --> 00:45:16.315
Yeah, yeah, I don't know how much it costs, but I'm sure it's worth getting reimbursed for Trust me, trust me.

00:45:16.315 --> 00:45:22.295
Do you have an example of a community initiative or program that you yourself are proud of?

00:45:24.286 --> 00:45:48.367
Well, that that with Kent State I'm sorry that with Kent State, trumbo, and also there's an initiative that's headed up by the mayor of the city I don't want to put too much out because I know he has his own launch program with that but it's Police Community Trust Initiative and you know, like I say, uh, you're part of it, so you, you know what's coming out.

00:45:48.548 --> 00:46:01.896
Yep, I just don't want to uh take the steam out of it, but yeah, very proud to be proud of, very proud to be very proud to serve on that okay, 31 years, 30 plus years in the force a lot of stuff, a lot of demands with that.

00:46:01.896 --> 00:46:05.588
I'm sitting staring at the ceiling imagining this whole thing.

00:46:05.588 --> 00:46:12.760
How do you balance personal life with your roles like law enforcement, police captain, like that whole thing?

00:46:12.760 --> 00:46:15.025
How do you?

00:46:15.085 --> 00:46:16.047
how do you balance life out?

00:46:16.047 --> 00:46:18.630
Well, just being myself.

00:46:18.630 --> 00:46:20.853
You know, I just have to be myself.

00:46:20.853 --> 00:46:22.775
This is this is my job.

00:46:22.775 --> 00:46:26.101
Be honest, Law abiding citizen.

00:46:26.101 --> 00:46:32.822
I just try to live a good, clean life.

00:46:36.105 --> 00:46:39.994
You know sometimes you're out and about and you know, obviously I got to live my life, you know.

00:46:39.994 --> 00:46:41.759
But like I said, I'm big on accountability.

00:46:41.759 --> 00:46:48.427
So being a police captain, I know that brings about certain character, a way I have to carry myself.

00:46:48.427 --> 00:46:54.585
So I just do when it comes to a phone ringing in the middle of the night.

00:46:54.585 --> 00:46:56.771
That's what I signed up for.

00:46:56.771 --> 00:47:02.565
I don't make big mention of it, but my wife is a police officer as well.

00:47:02.565 --> 00:47:05.373
She's a sergeant in Youngstown Police Department.

00:47:05.373 --> 00:47:09.193
So that's our life Right.

00:47:09.253 --> 00:47:09.574
Police.

00:47:09.614 --> 00:47:14.773
it is our life, you know no big surprises when the phone rings Right, Other than whose is it and who got it?

00:47:14.793 --> 00:47:16.554
I was going to say like whose call?

00:47:16.594 --> 00:47:17.505
is this at this time of night?

00:47:17.505 --> 00:47:21.391
Well, we got different ring.

00:47:21.391 --> 00:47:22.753
Okay, cool, cool, cool.

00:47:22.753 --> 00:47:28.210
Yeah, she's the internal affairs officer at Youngstown Police Department, so her phone rings more than mine.

00:47:28.210 --> 00:47:33.251
Okay, pretty much mine rings for notification, hers rings for hey, get out.

00:47:36.509 --> 00:47:38.271
So what do you do for fun?

00:47:38.271 --> 00:47:39.173
I know you like to golf.

00:47:39.173 --> 00:47:40.576
That's my thing, man, golfing.

00:47:40.815 --> 00:47:42.739
I'm a golfer, I love to golf.

00:47:42.739 --> 00:47:45.400
Spend time with my family.

00:47:45.400 --> 00:47:45.699
I have four golfer.

00:47:45.699 --> 00:47:45.802
I love to golf, you know.

00:47:45.802 --> 00:47:46.190
Spend time with my family.

00:47:46.190 --> 00:47:47.989
I have four grandkids.

00:47:48.632 --> 00:47:49.353
Oh, yeah, yeah.

00:47:50.148 --> 00:47:50.851
Three children.

00:47:50.851 --> 00:47:52.331
So you know family is big.

00:47:52.331 --> 00:47:55.233
But yeah, just recreational.

00:47:55.233 --> 00:48:00.110
You know I'm going to pick up a fishing pole here in a minute, in a couple months, you know.

00:48:00.110 --> 00:48:10.612
You got it planned out, oh yeah man you know that's called retirement planning One of these days when we get back into fishing- I thought you was going to do another 10 plus years.

00:48:10.704 --> 00:48:16.434
Put 10 more years in here, okay, I don't know where you hear that from.

00:48:16.434 --> 00:48:17.938
That's misinformation.

00:48:17.938 --> 00:48:19.331
No, I made that up y'all.

00:48:19.331 --> 00:48:20.313
I'm just letting y'all know.

00:48:20.313 --> 00:48:21.525
I made that up, just humor.

00:48:21.865 --> 00:48:31.317
No but yeah, you know, I like, like I said, I like golf, you know fellowship and got a lot of good friends and that's it.

00:48:31.458 --> 00:48:34.925
Yeah, everybody I've met that know you speak highly of you, you know.

00:48:34.925 --> 00:48:44.047
And then when we first met, I was like man, you know, I remember us talking inside of the podcast studio and just, and the one day we were down in the conference room I was having a horrible day.

00:48:44.047 --> 00:48:44.630
That day, man.

00:48:44.670 --> 00:48:52.074
I was having grief moment, I was this and that, and we're sitting around the table talking, and you know me and you had a conversation and walked up here and I just showed you.

00:48:52.074 --> 00:48:57.637
Right, yeah, that was very helpful.

00:48:57.637 --> 00:49:00.753
We wasn't talking about, oh life is this?

00:49:00.753 --> 00:49:02.010
Because you had no idea.

00:49:02.010 --> 00:49:13.190
Right, yeah, but internally, you, you know, I'm keeping the composure in this meeting and da, da, da, da, we started to tell us how we talked about golf, right, yeah, and just life in general, and so you know I mean.

00:49:13.190 --> 00:49:15.896
So here you go, just let you know.

00:49:15.896 --> 00:49:16.985
You asked me what I do this.

00:49:17.027 --> 00:49:23.268
Hey, I'm all in yeah, I told you yeah, so, uh, what negative wisdom would you give the 18 year old?

00:49:23.268 --> 00:49:23.731
Negative wisdom?

00:49:23.891 --> 00:49:24.715
no no, no, what nugget of wisdom.

00:49:24.715 --> 00:49:25.117
Oh nugget of wisdom.

00:49:25.117 --> 00:49:26.322
Would you give the 18-year-old Negative?

00:49:26.342 --> 00:49:26.764
wisdom no, no, no.

00:49:27.367 --> 00:49:28.010
What nugget?

00:49:28.110 --> 00:49:28.532
of wisdom.

00:49:28.625 --> 00:49:30.478
Oh, nugget of wisdom.

00:49:30.518 --> 00:49:31.364
Yeah, say something bad.

00:49:31.364 --> 00:49:32.911
What negative wisdom would you give?

00:49:32.971 --> 00:49:35.605
No, no, no, nothing negative.

00:49:35.605 --> 00:49:41.418
I tell 18-year-old Jeff Cote that life is rough.

00:49:41.418 --> 00:49:44.251
You know.

00:49:44.251 --> 00:49:45.014
Stay on your path.

00:49:45.014 --> 00:49:49.706
Just stay on your path.

00:49:49.706 --> 00:49:50.389
Trust in it gets you through it.

00:49:50.389 --> 00:49:54.507
You know, because you don't know life, you don't know what lies ahead for you.

00:49:54.507 --> 00:49:58.556
You know, you know there's struggles.

00:49:58.556 --> 00:50:02.125
You know marriage, divorce, life, death.

00:50:02.125 --> 00:50:08.711
You know well, as you know, stay on your path.

00:50:08.711 --> 00:50:10.132
Don't be discouraged, don't.

00:50:10.132 --> 00:50:11.114
You know?

00:50:11.114 --> 00:50:14.197
Don't let bad things discourage you.

00:50:14.197 --> 00:50:16.518
Just keep forging through.

00:50:16.518 --> 00:50:18.300
Stay true to the game.

00:50:19.804 --> 00:50:19.985
All right.

00:50:20.005 --> 00:50:22.211
Whatever that game is for you, stay true to it.

00:50:22.574 --> 00:50:27.376
All right, yeah, so this is one of I got a lot of favorite parts when I do these interviews.

00:50:27.376 --> 00:50:29.608
This one is the one word.

00:50:29.608 --> 00:50:35.155
We spoke about that, and that's you know word that has meaning to you or defines you or partially defines you.

00:50:35.155 --> 00:50:37.751
What is your one word and tell us why.

00:50:38.313 --> 00:50:38.775
Integrity.

00:50:38.775 --> 00:50:41.972
That's the one thing I give myself.

00:50:41.972 --> 00:50:43.150
I can't, no one take from me.

00:50:43.150 --> 00:50:45.108
You cannot take integrity.

00:50:45.108 --> 00:50:54.853
When I got to Warren, that was the only thing I brought with me A Nissan Got rid of the Nissan, but I still have my integrity.

00:50:54.853 --> 00:50:56.271
When I leave, I'm going to take it with me.

00:50:56.271 --> 00:50:59.530
I told a young man that today we just heard on Monday.

00:50:59.530 --> 00:51:03.786
It's ironic, it's very ironic.

00:51:03.786 --> 00:51:13.273
And I told him that, no matter what happens to you down here, never lose sight of your integrity, because once you lose it, you'll never get it back.

00:51:13.273 --> 00:51:18.378
If you, if you give that up, you'll never get it back, especially in this, in this line of work.

00:51:18.378 --> 00:51:20.559
So I live by that.

00:51:21.099 --> 00:51:21.661
No, you got it.

00:51:21.661 --> 00:51:22.101
Your word.

00:51:22.101 --> 00:51:23.882
Integrity, yep, all right.

00:51:24.465 --> 00:51:25.288
You ready for this random?

00:51:25.327 --> 00:51:25.929
question round.

00:51:25.929 --> 00:51:27.936
Come on, you cool with it too.

00:51:27.936 --> 00:51:30.753
Come on.

00:51:30.753 --> 00:51:35.411
It's just a few questions I like to ask, just for conversation.

00:51:35.411 --> 00:51:36.032
So let's start off with.

00:51:36.032 --> 00:51:38.681
Every man should own a tie.

00:51:38.681 --> 00:51:41.572
You got a nice tie on too, by the way.

00:51:41.572 --> 00:51:47.076
If you could only wear one color for the day, what color would that be?

00:51:47.076 --> 00:51:47.637
Gray?

00:51:47.637 --> 00:51:54.070
If you had a superpower but you could only use it on Friday, what superpower would that be?

00:51:57.266 --> 00:51:58.311
Oh, that's a tough one.

00:51:58.311 --> 00:51:59.632
Superpower.

00:51:59.733 --> 00:52:08.893
I don't know what the superpowers are, it could be whatever you want, the power to fly be invisible, whatever you want it to be, mind, read, read.

00:52:08.893 --> 00:52:10.141
I wouldn't do that on a friday.

00:52:10.161 --> 00:52:17.510
no, no, no fridays, I can't read my own after the week.

00:52:17.510 --> 00:52:20.155
Oh no, I'd have to say.

00:52:20.155 --> 00:52:25.273
If I just had to pick one, I'd say I'd say strength.

00:52:25.273 --> 00:52:27.418
I just say just say super power, super strength.

00:52:27.418 --> 00:52:29.990
Just one day a week, be stronger than everybody.

00:52:29.990 --> 00:52:30.813
Back to normal.

00:52:34.226 --> 00:52:35.550
I'm going to move this mountain.

00:52:35.550 --> 00:52:36.353
There you go.

00:52:36.353 --> 00:52:44.233
If you could instantly change something in the world, what would it be?

00:52:46.557 --> 00:52:47.139
Homelessness.

00:52:49.826 --> 00:52:54.755
If you could go to a vacation spot 21 days everything is paid for, plane ticket, all that stuff.

00:52:54.755 --> 00:52:57.489
You ain't got nothing to show up Anywhere in the world.

00:52:57.489 --> 00:52:58.132
Where would it be?

00:53:00.025 --> 00:53:03.146
Well, I've done some traveling, you know.

00:53:03.146 --> 00:53:09.893
I've been to the islands and cruises, oh man 21 days of just bliss.

00:53:10.704 --> 00:53:11.588
You got to pay for nothing.

00:53:11.588 --> 00:53:13.393
Nothing Good to go.

00:53:13.706 --> 00:53:15.652
It could be an unrealistic answer.

00:53:15.652 --> 00:53:17.692
It could be wherever you want it to be Heaven.

00:53:17.692 --> 00:53:19.708
I like to see my people.

00:53:19.708 --> 00:53:21.815
I like that.

00:53:21.815 --> 00:53:23.112
I like to see my mom and dad and the rest of my family.

00:53:23.112 --> 00:53:23.353
I like that.

00:53:23.353 --> 00:53:23.715
Yeah, I like that.

00:53:23.715 --> 00:53:24.902
I'd like to see my mom and dad and the rest of my family.

00:53:24.902 --> 00:53:25.144
I like that.

00:53:25.786 --> 00:53:32.838
Yeah, if you would be reincarnated, or if you could be reincarnated to an animal, what animal would you want to come back?

00:53:32.838 --> 00:53:33.778
As A bird?

00:53:33.778 --> 00:53:36.646
What kind of bird?

00:53:36.646 --> 00:53:41.271
You got to be careful with that one, because you know an eagle or a sparrow.

00:53:41.490 --> 00:53:43.413
Well, a peaceful bird.

00:53:43.413 --> 00:53:48.117
Just fly around and look at the world from up there, you know, just to soar.

00:53:48.597 --> 00:53:49.918
Oh yeah, maybe an eagle.

00:53:49.918 --> 00:53:52.320
Yeah, not too many people mess with them and you can soar.

00:53:52.780 --> 00:53:53.621
Okay, all right.

00:53:55.146 --> 00:54:01.998
Yeah, see me, I'd be like a blue jay or something, because you know I'm mean a little territorial, you know but I got pretty colors Okay.

00:54:01.998 --> 00:54:05.731
Okay, and I'm a name of a team you know, Toronto Blue Jackets.

00:54:05.851 --> 00:54:08.237
Until somebody get mad about it.

00:54:08.237 --> 00:54:09.867
Right, don't change it.

00:54:13.585 --> 00:54:20.717
What advice and this is an important question I want to close out with, but what advice would you give someone looking to pursue a career in law enforcement?

00:54:22.038 --> 00:54:22.659
What advice?

00:54:22.659 --> 00:54:23.481
Hmm?

00:54:23.481 --> 00:54:34.490
Well, first of all, I'd say listen, this is a great career field and, despite what's really you know, seems obvious or seems always in the news.

00:54:34.490 --> 00:54:40.177
You know the misdeeds of police officers.

00:54:40.177 --> 00:54:44.101
That's less than 1% of what law enforcement is.

00:54:44.101 --> 00:54:45.108
That's less than 1%.

00:54:45.108 --> 00:54:45.822
You know, and far too many, but still less than 1% of what law enforcement is.

00:54:45.822 --> 00:54:46.215
That's less than 1%.

00:54:46.215 --> 00:54:50.224
You know, far too many, but still less than 1%.

00:54:50.224 --> 00:54:56.157
It's a great opportunity for advancement, promotion, great benefits.

00:54:57.085 --> 00:55:05.440
And if you don't like the way policing is, and I've always said this and I had a great military guy tell me this you can't beat the system.

00:55:05.440 --> 00:55:07.592
You got to get in the system and change it.

00:55:07.592 --> 00:55:11.213
So I've always tried to do that throughout my career.

00:55:11.213 --> 00:55:16.237
You know, when I didn't like something, I say, well, I can't work for that guy, I got to get promoted.

00:55:17.146 --> 00:55:19.393
Or you know, I don't like the way this policy read.

00:55:19.393 --> 00:55:26.503
Hey, put in a suggestion and have a policy change, so I say, get in and change it, all right have a policy change so I say get in and change it.

00:55:26.503 --> 00:55:28.050
Law enforcement will be around forever.

00:55:28.050 --> 00:55:32.632
So instead of complaining about it, come on in and help me fix this before I get up out of here.

00:55:33.248 --> 00:55:36.278
Which is about a few ten years from now, About two years from now.

00:55:36.278 --> 00:55:38.110
I'll never get out of it.

00:55:38.170 --> 00:55:38.913
I'll never get out.

00:55:38.913 --> 00:55:39.847
I'll never get out.

00:55:39.847 --> 00:55:41.786
Just how long I can sit in the chair, you know.

00:55:42.248 --> 00:55:43.271
It's a pleasure having you on here.

00:55:43.331 --> 00:55:44.693
Hey man, I appreciate it.

00:55:44.693 --> 00:55:46.639
I'm more than pleased to come over here and do this.

00:55:46.639 --> 00:55:47.661
We got it done.

00:55:47.661 --> 00:55:48.985
Yeah, we said we was going to do it.

00:55:49.405 --> 00:55:49.927
We did it.

00:55:49.927 --> 00:55:56.527
We got it done Well, folks, I want to thank you for hitting the play button and I hope you got a lot from this interview with Captain Cole.

00:55:56.527 --> 00:56:12.472
Captain Jeff Cole, right, and I will tell you remember those words I said in the beginning and I'm pretty sure and this is not knowing him well, just through conversation and stuff, so you can tell right, he exudes this because those words that I talked about you hit on in every last one of them.

00:56:12.472 --> 00:56:14.360
So thank you for hitting the play button.

00:56:14.360 --> 00:56:16.291
Stay tuned for the next episode soon.

00:56:16.291 --> 00:56:17.550
Signing out.

00:56:24.974 --> 00:56:29.201
This episode was produced by the Sound United Podcast Studio, led by Kimberly Gonzalez.

00:56:29.201 --> 00:56:41.840
Photography and video content produced by the D5 Group, and be sure to visit our website, soundunitedpresentscom, where you can catch up on all the episodes and get some behind the scenes content.

00:56:41.840 --> 00:56:44.827
I'm Deshaun Scott Thank you for listening.

00:56:44.827 --> 00:56:58.701
Ready to launch a podcast or create standout audio content?

00:56:58.701 --> 00:57:09.989
Sound United Podcast Studio has everything you need Studio rental, consulting, content development, marketing support, and we even offer remote editing services.

00:57:09.989 --> 00:57:13.438
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00:57:13.438 --> 00:57:15.166
So book your discovery.

00:57:15.166 --> 00:57:28.105
Call at wwwthesounducom that is wwwthesounducom or do it the old fashioned way and call 330-238-7157.

00:57:28.105 --> 00:57:32.271
That is 330-238-7157.

00:57:32.271 --> 00:57:34.474
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