I started On The Blue Line in 2019. A decade in law enforcement in a variety of roles from patrol, criminal investigations, to front-line supervisor, had allowed me to see the needs of the law enforcement officers in this career and the dangers associated with ignoring those needs. However, I don’t think I fully understood or appreciated the need for a holistic approach to law enforcement mental health until I began teaching classes at the law enforcement academy at a local state college. Seeing the progression from cadet to officer and the issues they faced over the years told me we could do better.

We as an industry can do better. We have come a long way when it comes to recognizing the need for law enforcement mental health programs and awareness, but we have a long ways to go. Since starting this podcast and blog I have known personally two active-duty law enforcement officers who have committed suicide, I have known several officers personally who have lost their careers over preventable mistakes they have made and I have personally known great officers who were not ready for retirement but left the career for their and their families well-being. This is a tough career and made tougher when society begins to collapse.

The content you will find here is unapologetically pro-law enforcement, pro-American and often has Christian themes. The content is intended to be thought provoking and is either geared towards empowering law enforcement, educating the community about law enforcement or some blend of the two. However, through the interviews I intentionally bring a variety of perspectives from different walks of life, sides of the political aisle and from across the country. If law enforcement is to accomplish its goal of protecting and serving the community in these tumultuous times, then it has to be made up of professional, citizen warriors who love this country, love their community and want to make the world a better and safer place. They also have to have an understanding and appreciation for different points of view, while still being grounded in truth. They have to be men and women of integrity, principle, and courage. They also have to have the tools and resources to care for their own health (mental, physical, spiritual, emotional) in order to survive or more importantly thrive in this career.

I hope you will join me. Please start by enjoying the content. Under the “read” section is a variety of topics written in Blog form. You will find the show pages for the Podcast episodes under the “listen” tab. If watching the podcast in a video format is your preference those can be found under the “watch” tab.

If you enjoy this content and would like to have me present to your organization or group on a variety of topics, please see the speaking section under the services tab. If you want to support this podcast by simply buying me a cup of coffee, there is a tab for that as well on the homepage and the blog pages. Most importantly, if you are enjoying this content or feel that it would benefit someone you know, please share the content and I thank you for your prayers and supporting me in this way.

Your friend on the journey,

Wayne