Episodes

  • SFPD Undercover Paul Lozada: Blending into Gangs, Narcotics Busts & Officer 1Eight7 Book

    SFPD Undercover Paul Lozada: Blending into Gangs, Narcotics Busts & Officer 1Eight7 Book
    Mar 1 2026
    🎥 Episode 150
    Former San Francisco Police Department officer Paul Lozada shares his incredible undercover journey in this powerful Reasons We Serve interview. With Filipino-Italian heritage that let him seamlessly blend into Black, Asian, Latino, and other communities, Paul worked gang units and narcotics operations, building trust and eliciting confessions without force. Hear how his "street education" from maximum-security inmates shaped his non-intrusive interviewing style, why he wrote the memoir Officer 1Eight7, and his praise for the host’s authentic approach. He also explains his involvement with Hollywood as a technical advisor and contributor to Training Day and the Equalizer films, and shares how faith shaped his policing and later work as a sheriff’s chaplain. A must-watch for fans of true crime, undercover police stories, San Francisco PD history, and anyone interested in how diverse officers navigated high-stakes gang and drug investigations.

    For SFPD gang unit stories, undercover cop interviews, Filipino-Italian police experiences, or Officer 1Eight7 book insights, LIKE if you love real LE stories, SUBSCRIBE for more badge-deep interviews, and COMMENT: What’s your favorite undercover tactic?

    If you liked this episode, please give us a 5-star review, subscribe, and share.
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    1 hr and 59 mins
  • The IA Guy Marlon Marrache: LAPD Discipline, Internal Affairs Secrets & Podcast Rise

    The IA Guy Marlon Marrache: LAPD Discipline, Internal Affairs Secrets & Podcast Rise
    Feb 22 2026
    🎥 Episode 149
    Retired LAPD Sergeant Marlon Marrache (15 years in discipline, Internal Affairs veteran) drops raw truth on "The IA Guy" podcast—exposing how misconduct cases really work, from 2008 tours to retirement in 2022.

    In this Reasons We Serve episode, Marlon unpacks the curiosity that pulled him into IA, the emotional toll of digging into officers' "laundry," single-dad struggles balancing badge and family, and his vision for 2026: ride-alongs, recruitment vibes, and bringing back "Life on the Beat." With 1.6M YouTube views and growing, Marlon's no-BS style demystifies discipline, defends the job, and reminds us why we serve. Perfect for cops, IA pros, true crime fans, and anyone curious about what happens behind the blue wall.

    For LAPD internal affairs stories, retired sergeant interviews, or police discipline insights. COMMENT: Your take on discipline?

    IA Guy Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@themarracheshow

    Please don't forget to subscribe to Reasons We Serve. Give us a 5-star review if you liked the interview, and share it with others.

    #TheIAGuy #LAPDInternalAffairs #RetiredLAPD #PolicePodcast #ReasonsWeServe
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • Police Chief Gary Scheihing: 40-Year Small-Town Cop Saga – Dispatcher Days to Tech & Family Wins

    Police Chief Gary Scheihing: 40-Year Small-Town Cop Saga – Dispatcher Days to Tech & Family Wins
    Feb 15 2026
    Episode 148
    Journey through rural Idaho's badge life with retired Emmett PD Chief Gary Scheihing (40+ years), who ditched family carpentry for LE at 18—starting as Ada County dispatcher/jailer (pre-21 patrol ban), evolving through Meridian PD's first MDT computers to a 2-year Emmett reorganization amid homicides and growth. From 1969 Impala patrols (lights only, no siren) to advising rookies on tech-savvy tests and unbreakable family ties ("Pick kids up from school? Priceless"), Gary's tales blend humor, history, and heart—why strong home circles outlast the grind.

    Welcome to our Channel Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement.

    Please give us a 5-star review, Subscribe, and Share to stay updated on more inspiring law enforcement stories!
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • NYPD Auto Crime Boss: Jon Schwartz's 25-Year OC Busts, Gotti Chases & Unbreakable Badge Life

    NYPD Auto Crime Boss: Jon Schwartz's 25-Year OC Busts, Gotti Chases & Unbreakable Badge Life
    Feb 8 2026
    Episode 147
    Dive into the gritty underbelly of 1980s-90s NYC with retired NYPD Detective Sgt. Jon Schwartz (25 years, Organized Crime Control Bureau)—mastering auto theft rings tied to mobsters like John Gotti and Carmine Fatico, from street IDs spotting OC players on Utica Ave to FBI/Customs task forces dismantling chop shops and major cases. As a native New Yorker who ran the "Fundamentals of Auto Crime Investigations" school, John shares front-row freak show tales: Bizarre encounters, wheel-reinventing unit shifts, and the "million stories in the naked city" that defined his command. Post-retirement reflections on health scares (heart attack in Aruba, wife's COVID battle, his cancer), rock-solid marriage ("She's steady—wigs out on me now"), and paying forward via foundations like A DB—proving life's "no dress rehearsal."

    Edward Byrne Foundation
    www.poedwardbyrnefoundation.com

    Welcome to our Channel Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement.

    Please give us a 5-star review, Subscribe, and Share to stay updated on more inspiring law enforcement interviews!
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    47 mins
  • Vineland K9 Sgt. Louis Platania: Stabbing Survival, Dog's Medal & 16-Year "Black Cloud" Cop Saga

    Vineland K9 Sgt. Louis Platania: Stabbing Survival, Dog's Medal & 16-Year "Black Cloud" Cop Saga
    Feb 1 2026
    🎥 Episode 146
    Unleash the unbreakable bond in retired Vineland City PD Sgt. Louis Platania's 16-year "shit magnet" ride (2008-2024)—proactive patrols in south Jersey's gang-plagued 67-sq-mile hotspot (67K pop, between Philly & AC) turning into K9 heroics when his partner saves him from a brutal 2015 stabbing amid a 911 call gone deadly. From poverty-stricken childhood with a prescription-pill-addicted dad (stealing pads for oxys/percs) to legal vindication after "villain" smears, Louis details the 2024 DC medal honor (9th dog in US history via Animals in War & Peace) and heartbreaking cancer farewell, closing a "Cinderella" chapter. A raw testament to resilience, family anchors, and why "if you're not looking for action, it's there."

    Welcome to our Channel Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement.

    Please give us a 5-star review, subscribe, and share to stay updated on more inspiring law enforcement stories!
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    1 hr and 44 mins
  • DEA Vet Richard Oakley: 30-Year Battle with Alcoholism & Cop Suicide Stigma

    DEA Vet Richard Oakley: 30-Year Battle with Alcoholism & Cop Suicide Stigma
    Jan 25 2026
    🎥 Episode 145

    In this law enforcement interview and police officer story, DEA Special Agent Richard Oakley discusses his career spanning from 1967 to 1996. Step into the raw, resilient world of retired DEA Special Agent Richard T. Oakley, whose badge spanned New Brunswick PD patrols, Union County narcotics probes, and DEA's gritty 1970s trenches—from basic agent class at D.C.'s 1405 I Street to undercover ops that tested his soul. Haunted by his father's WWII trauma-fueled death at 30 (when Richard was 13) and a family legacy of drinkers, he confronts the bottle's grip on cops: "I broke my promise—I'd die first." From losing a partner to suicide to advocating mandatory mental health at academies, Richard shares healing through storytelling, the firehous vs. patrol isolation gap, and advice for rookies—learn, share, overcome. A vital wake-up for LE families, vets, and advocates battling the badge's invisible scars.

    Welcome to our Channel Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement.

    Please give us a 5-star review, subscribe, and share to stay updated on more inspiring law enforcement stories!
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    1 hr and 38 mins
  • Message to the listeners

    Message to the listeners
    Jan 22 2026
    A brief message from the creator of Reasons We Serve, Niles Gooding, a retired DEA Agent.
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    2 mins
  • Deep Undercover: Ken Larson’s Motorcycle Gang Takedowns & Badge Bonds

    Deep Undercover: Ken Larson’s Motorcycle Gang Takedowns & Badge Bonds
    Jan 18 2026
    🎥 Episode 144
    Uncover the shadows with retired Fairfax County PD Detective Ken Larson (FBI 12 years), whose journey began in 1983 with the Secret Service Uniform Division—fueled by a Youngstown steel-town kid's obsession with True Detective mags and "Walking Tall" heroism, no family LE legacy. From blue-collar roots to deep undercover infiltrating motorcycle gangs, Ken reveals the grind: Building informant trust through genuine empathy ("I see people as people, not handcuffs"), the "good vs. evil" pull, and wisdom's shift from black-and-white rookies to life-changers mentoring at-risk kids like "Joe" (now Virginia Tech-bound).

    Welcome to our Channel Reasons We Serve, a podcast dedicated to exploring the motivations, challenges, and realities of working in law enforcement. We dive deep into the personal stories of officers, discuss different career paths, and break down the roles of various agencies—from local police departments to state and federal law enforcement.

    Please give us a 5-star review, subscribe, and share to stay updated on more inspiring law enforcement stories!

    To watch more interviews with retired and active duty cops and law enforcement, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@reasonsweserve
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    2 hrs and 10 mins