In today’s briefing, Detectives Dave and Dan, and forensic investigator Paul Holes, share personal stories of traumatic events they experienced on the job that left them struggling with post-traumatic stress. Joined by guest host Yeardley Smith, they discuss why there needs to be a renewed focus on mental health treatment for all first responders, and the urgent need to redefine when and how police officers are able to seek help when they inevitably experience tragic events that leave a lasting impact.
Online Safety
In today’s briefing, Detective Dave digs into his years of experience to talk about online safety for kids, and how parents can better understand the brave new world of apps and platforms where some children are at risk of abuse.
In This Case
Who sets the rules for police use of force? In many ways, the limits are set by case law. In today’s briefing, we bring back a discussion about two U.S. Supreme Court cases that define what police can and cannot do when they need to bring force to bear.
Forensics 2.0
In today’s briefing, forensic specialist Paul Holes and former Sacramento County DA Anne Marie Schubert talk about new forensic techniques to solve cold cases – including the use of familial DNA to track down the Golden State Killer.
The Dance
In today’s briefing: You’ve got a suspect in the interview room. Do you want to break them down? Or build them up? Do you want a confession? Or to catch them in a lie? Detectives Dave and Dan walk you through their interview techniques and discuss the pitfalls of not being prepared. And they respond to your feedback from Classroom Safety Check.
People of Conscience
In today’s briefing, Defense Attorney Lissa returns for another civilized, yet provocative, discussion about the inner workings of the justice system. How does a defense attorney prepare the jury? What does she tell her client when the prosecutor offers a deal? And why does it take ‘people of conscience’ to make the wheels of justice turn? Detective Dave, Detective Dan, and Yeardley Smith invite you into The Briefing Room for another insightful conversation.
All Due Respect
Cops and defense attorneys sit on opposite sides in the courtroom. So, what happens when you put them at the same table? In today’s briefing, we find out. Detective Dave welcomes Public Defender Lissa to talk about why she left the prosecutor’s office to become a defender of the accused, how she does her job, and what she feels is the common ground in the fight for justice – hint, it’s spelled r-e-s-p-e-c-t.
Reasonable Suspicion
Today’s briefing is about Terry v. Ohio, the 1968 U.S. Supreme Court case that set the standards for when a police officer has reasonable suspicion to stop and frisk someone.
Classroom Safety Check Cont.
Part two of our conversation with two Texas elementary school teachers about classroom safety in the wake of the deadly shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, along with advice from a veteran school resource officer.
Classroom Safety Check
Welcome to The Briefing Room, a spinoff from Small Town Dicks. In our first episode, twin detectives Dan and Dave talk with two public school teachers about ‘active shooter’ training in the wake of the deadly shooting at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school. Yeardley Smith is also on-hand to ask the guys why they started this podcast.
The Briefing Room is coming Jan. 27!
Small Town Dicks Presents: The Briefing Room – coming January 27. It’s a new show from Detectives Dan and Dave about the world of law enforcement and the ways they keep us safe. Every day, police officers start their shifts in briefing, where they discuss the latest policies, crime trends, and other hot topics that affect law enforcement. We’re inviting you in to be part of the conversation. We’ll also have tips for you on ways you can better protect yourselves as well as improve the ways you interact with police. Welcome to The Briefing Room!
TBR: The Christian Burial Speech
Once again, Detectives Dave and Dan take a deep dive into case law that governs how law enforcement operates in this country. Today, they discuss Brewer v. Williams, which is better known as “The Christian Burial Speech”. It’s a fascinating and disturbing tale about the limits of interrogation after a suspect invokes his right to counsel: even when, or especially when, the stakes are incredibly high.
TBR: Case Law, Part 2
If you’ve ever watched a television crime drama, chances are you could recite the Miranda warning by heart. Today, Detectives Dan and Dave continue their law enforcement briefing with a review of the case that brought us the Miranda warning: Miranda v. Arizona. The detectives also delve into a precursor case, Escobedo v. Illinois, which helped define what rights a person has when they’re arrested.
TBR: Case Law, Part 1
In today’s briefing, we discuss the case law that defines what is considered reasonable when a police officer uses force. These cases are used by departments nationwide as a foundation for use of force policies. The two specific cases you’ll hear about today, if you want to read further, are Tennessee v. Garner and Graham v. Connor.
TBR: Situational Awareness
Over the next few weeks, we’re sharing a few episodes of The Briefing Room. The series began on our Patreon feed but is going to become a brand new show in January. Today, we discuss situational awareness: Detective Dave and Detective Dan talk about ways to increase your safety by paying closer attention to what’s going on around you.
The Briefing Room
Detectives Dan and Dave take you into The Briefing Room for a candid conversation about online safety.