In law enforcement, wellness can’t be an afterthought — it must be part of the foundation of operations. That means moving beyond surface-level initiatives to fully integrating mental health support into operations, training and leadership strategies. From proactive threat assessment to long-term officer resilience and retirement planning, embedding behavioral health into daily practice is key to building a healthier, more effective agency.

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley talks with Dr. Cherylynn Lee, a police psychologist with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, about weaving behavioral science into tactical operations, threat assessment and daily officer interactions. From co-responder units to retirement planning, Dr. Lee explains how agencies can proactively support both sworn and civilian staff.

Read more from Dr. Lee on Police1 here. Connect with Dr. Lee on LinkedIn.

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

When officers respond to a call that seems routine — like a mental health check — they often have no idea how quickly that encounter could escalate. For Officer Alessandra Winterbauer of the Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department, what began as a calm conversation with a confused subject turned into a life-or-death confrontation. Her ability to remain composed and rely on recent virtual reality training helped avoid a deadly outcome and led to her recognition with Axon’s 2025 Jack Cover Save of the Year Award.

Officer Winterbauer and a colleague were dispatched to check on a man experiencing a possible mental health crisis. After a calm 20-minute conversation, the man abruptly asked, “If I come at you guys with a knife, will you shoot me?” Moments later, he sprinted toward officers. Winterbauer deployed her TASER 10 from over 30 feet away — just minutes after completing VR-based TASER training. Her successful response neutralized the threat without serious injury, demonstrating the real-world value of immersive, high-frequency training.

Click here to find out how to join the Lincoln Police Department.

This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.

In a rare bit of encouraging news, the FBI’s 2024 report on active shooter incidents shows a 50% drop in cases — from 48 in 2023 to 24 in 2024. But is this a trend or an outlier?

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley talks with two of the country’s foremost experts on mass shootings and prevention: former FBI executive Katherine Schweit, author of “Stop the Killing” and host of “Stop the Killing” podcast and psychologist Dr. Peter Langman, author and threat assessment consultant. They break down what’s behind the drop and what law enforcement and communities need to do to sustain progress.

Schweit and Langman dig into key drivers behind the decline, including expanded civilian preparedness, stronger threat assessment protocols in schools, improved collaboration between law enforcement and behavioral health, and the use of AI technologies like ZeroEyes. They also weigh in on legislative factors such as red flag laws and gun purchase restrictions, while warning about new threats like increased use of IEDs and the normalization of political violence.

This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.