“The truth is, outside of uniform I’m just a member of the public as well. I vote, I take out my trash the same way everybody else does. And I think sometimes the public forgets that…They’re humans.”
It is an interesting time to be a member of law enforcement in America. There have been many events in the past two years that have drawn the ire and suspicion of the greater public regarding the people that are hired to serve and protect them. This is on the one hand good, as we should question everything all the time, and audit our government employees to make sure they are serving the purpose for which they were hired. This is on the other hand bad, as public sentiment and backlash fracture the country further. Worse, it can cause good law enforcement officers, who risk their lives to help make our cities safer, to feel ostracized and looked down upon. Today I interview one such officer, Matthew Barton, a sheriff from Yavapai county in Arizona. We’ll discuss what it’s like being a sheriff in today’s world.
“There are times when I go, “Can I handle this?” I’ve seen horrible things that will stick with me for the rest of my life.”
“I do have to go to things alone where I’m 80 or 90 miles away from any backup.”
Interview Contents
3:30 - The difference between being a Sheriff and a Police Officer.
6:00 - Why do we need both: Sheriff and Police Officer?
7:00 - Job roles, jurisdiction.
9:40 - Coordination between city police department and county.
11:00 - Issues with jurisdiction.
18:00 - Following the spirit or the letter of the law.
31:00 - Job breakdown.
35:00 - Quotas.
37:45 - What has it been like being in law enforcement for the past year?
44:00 - Checks and balances. Integrity in law enforcement.
45:05 Have you ever had any moments in your career that made you question becoming a Sheriff?
47:30 - Being extra nice to people to make up for the bad law enforcement officers.
51:00 - What makes for a good sheriff?
53:30 - Training to be a sheriff?
55:00 - Being by yourself.
1:00:00 - Advice.
Links
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THIS EPISODE WAS MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Roxanna
Michelle & Jim Wortner
Janelle Swanson
Jimmy Seymour
