The Commander: A Podcast with Dr. Chris Jones

Dr. Heather Walsh-Haney is a world-renown forensic anthropologist who has worked hundreds of cases across the globe.  She discusses how she got into forensic anthropology as well as how she went from getting justice for the deceased to proactively protecting the living.  She is one of the world's foremost forensic anthropologists and serves as an instructor at the UT National Forensic Academy.   

We should be doing more to protect the elderly and vulnerable adults.   Join Dr. Jones as he discusses this very important topic with an expert who has a passion for bringing awareness to this topic and putting a stop to these terrible crimes.  There are multiple ways our seniors are being taken advantage of.   Growing numbers are suffering from abuse, which may include physical, emotional, financial, sexual, abandonment, and neglect.  There are constantly evolving scams that target the elderly, and the amount of money lost is in the billions.  In this episode, we'll discuss ways we can better protect the elderly and vulnerable adults, types of scams being utilized, ways to enhance prosecution, and tools law enforcement can use to stop or "pause" the flow of money unnecessarily leaving the accounts of the elderly and ending up in the hands of criminals.  Music by Craig AllenDisclaimer:  Views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of the University of Tennessee, its agencies, and its employees.

Dr. Jones discusses school safety with Sgt. Jeff Hicks, a retired school resource officer with 30 years of experience in the field.  This episode includes information on school safety planning, security assessments, emergency planning, threat assessments, anonymous tip reporting, Handle With Care, and more.  

Dr. Arpad Vass has worked some extremely high-profile cases, including the famous Casey Anthony investigation.  He is a world-renowned forensic anthropologist as well as an inventor. Listen as Dr. Vass gives you a look inside his endeavors in locating both the alive and the dead.  He'll tell you about his revolutionary inventions and how he has located bodies that were previously deemed impossible to find.   In between traveling the world to help law enforcement agencies find buried remains and missing persons, he serves as a subject matter expert and instructor at the National Forensic Academy.  He, along with several highly respected forensic anthropologists, teach students how to successfully locate and excavate clandestine graves at the University of TN Outdoor Forensic Training Center, which many of you will recognize as The Body Farm.  If you would like to contact Dr. Vass, please do so at ArpadVass4@gmail.com.  

With Halloween just a few short days away, Dr. Jones sat down with sex offender registry expert, Dr. Paul Grady, to discuss what law enforcement officers and citizens need to know.  Dr. Grady details some valuable resources citizens can use to enhance awareness of sex offenders in their respective areas.  He gives law enforcement officers insight into what to look for and some helpful tools they can use to supplement their investigations.  Dr. Grady discusses the different classifications of sex offenders, the protocol they must follow once they are listed on the registry, and how, if possible, they can be removed from the registry.  He also provides a list of websites the general public can access so that they can identify sex offenders by location.  As Halloween is fast approaching, it is vital that parents know where they are taking their kids, and more importantly, to whose doorstep they may be taking them to.  

Dr. Jones interviews TN Highway Patrol Lt. Stacey Heatherly.  She talks about the difficulties she experienced as a female wanting to enter into the law enforcement profession, and how she has risen in command within the THP.  She also gives great insight into the many opportunities within the TN Highway Patrol and just how extensive their responsibilities are.  She discusses positions she has held and areas that she has been involved in, including trooper, local and statewide public information officer, child safety systems, helicopter operations, interdiction, and more.  She also addresses the importance of having a strong family and friend support system as a law enforcement officer, and how difficult and prosperous it can be to raise a family while in that profession.  

Dr. Jones sits down with Behavioral Health Administrator Bob Garrett to discuss mental health issues in the prison system and what we're doing to combat it.  Mr. Garrett has spent a significant amount of his career rehabilitating prisoners and trying to help them re-enter society and become productive citizens.  He details how inmates with mental health issues are categorized, and how they use that information to determine what treatment methods are best for them.  He discusses women in the prison system and how mental health and substance abuse typically predicate their incarceration.  He explains the "Talk Straight" program, which was utilized to deter youth from committing crimes.   He also shares stories from his experiences dealing with inmates in the historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary.  Inmates like Jimmy Slagle, who escaped brushy by shipping himself out of the facility.  Mr. Garrett gives great insight into what corrections officers deal with on a daily basis, and how professionals, like himself, are working diligently to change the lives of prisoners across our country.

Dr. Jones sits down with Gallatin Police Department training officer, Sgt. Scottie King, to discuss the importance of law enforcement training as well as its complicated nature in today's society.  Sgt. King gives insight into the critical role of a law enforcement training officer and all that the position entails.  Dr. Jones and Sgt. King also discuss trending issues around law enforcement and how they may impact both training and the profession as a whole.  

In this episode, Dr. Jones discusses lethality assessments for domestic violence and how they can benefit both victims and law enforcement officers alike.  Created by the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence, this assessment is specifically used for intimate partner abuse calls and has proven effectiveness in multiple scientific studies.  The goal of the lethality assessment is to connect victims with resources and provide real-time support so that they are more apt to seek help and ultimately leave their abusive partner.  Dr. Jones discusses, in detail, the questions on the assessment, scoring the assessment, and follow-through.  

Dr. Jones talks with Deputy Chief Don Green (Ret.), who was also the longest standing Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Innovation Center.  Dr. Jones taps into Mr. Green's wealth of expertise to get his insight into trending issues on recruitment, retention, and problematic employees.  They talk about challenges police departments face in recruiting and retaining officers, given the current climate in law enforcement.  They discuss variations in policies regarding tattoos and facial hair.  They also talk about the defund the police movement and how negatively impactful that sentiment could be for the future of law enforcement and civilization altogether.  Furthermore, they discuss how important it is to address employee-related issues, especially when there can be criminal implications.  

Dr. Jones speaks with, Amir Mitchell, a national forensic academy student who chronicles how he transitioned, almost immediately, from a college student to a forensic investigator.  He is now attending one of the most prestigious forensic academies in the world.  He describes how he used hard work and perseverance to achieve his goals.

In this episode, Dr. Jones sits down with expert forensic anthropologist Dr. Murray Marks to discuss the University of Tennessee's outdoor forensic training center, better known as THE BODY FARM.  Dr. Marks discusses the origins of this facility and its creator, the world-renown Dr. William Bass.  Dr. Marks explains the process for body donations and how they are utilized to help law enforcement in the field, specifically for training officers on developing time since death estimates so that they may better identify and apprehend suspects that have committed heinous crimes, as well as bring some closure to victim's families.  LEIC's outdoor forensic training center is one of two body farms in Tennessee.  The original is the University of Tennessee forensic anthropology center. This is part 1 of a series regarding the outdoor forensic training center.  Stay tuned for Part 2 in a later episode.

In this episode, Dr. Jones talks with Atlanta Animal Crimes Prosecutor Jessica Rock. She gives us insight into the horrors of animal abuse and just how prevalent it is in today's society.  She discusses the pivotal roles law enforcement and community members play in recognizing, reporting, and responding to these types of crimes.  Through her substantial and in-depth experiences, she gives listeners an inside look into dogfighting and cockfighting, as well as the differences in the overall structure of these crimes based on the socioeconomic levels of the offenders.  She discusses the undeniable link between animal abuse and domestic abuse.  She also provides information on reporting animal abuse and offers resources listeners can access to learn more about this topic.  

Does your department struggle with writing good police reports or affidavits?  Do your officers copy and paste a police report narrative directly over to an affidavit?  Do you know the necessary components of a good police report?  In this episode, Lt. Sean Chambers and Lt. Steve Hammonds describe leading practices for writing police reports, affidavits, and more.  We'll discuss the necessary components of report writing, as well as the essential role supervisors should be playing in ensuring reports are being written to the highest standard possible.  You'll also learn about report writing as it relates to domestic violence, which is often one of the most dangerous and frequent calls for law enforcement service.  Finally, in a little off-topic discussion towards the end, Dr. Jones and Lt. Hammonds discuss the requirement for officers to be impartial and unbiased in their documentation, and throughout every incident for that matter, but how that can be difficult at times.