Beyond The Barrel Podcast

Ep 61: Beyond the Badge: The Ugly Underneath with Carlos Rodriguez

Some cases never leave you. In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Carlos Rodriguez — author of The Ugly Underneath and a former crimes-against-children detective sergeant who spent nearly three decades confronting some of the darkest realities imaginable. After 27 years with the Washington State Patrol, Carlos retired as a nationally recognized expert in child exploitation investigations and proactive operations targeting predators. As the leader of WSP’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force and an FBI Task Force Officer, he helped develop investigative strategies that would later be modeled and replicated across the country. But behind the arrests, the operations, and the headlines was a human being carrying the emotional weight of the job. This conversation goes beyond tactics and titles. Carlos opens up about the mental toll of investigating crimes against children, the darkness investigators absorb over time, and the reality many first responders quietly battle long after the shift ends. We also discuss his book, The Ugly Underneath, and why telling these stories matters. Beyond the Barrel is where we pour truths—straight, no chaser. This episode is raw, heavy, and real. Timestamps:  04:10 – Writing The Book 09:22 – Becoming A Trooper 16:26 – Police Academy Stories 24:42 – Undercover Street Racing 28:00 – Narcotics Investigations 37:26 – Crimes Against Children 44:21 – Emotional Impact 50:47 – Interviewing Predators 58:15 – Rescuing Victims 1:08:40 – Human Trafficking Cases 1:18:55 – Mental Health & Burnout 1:29:20 – Biggest Career Lessons If you like what you hear, like, subscribe and follow the Beyond the Barrel podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_barrel_pod/⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Ep 60: Building The Future Of Police Training and Culture with Badge Ops

Most people in law enforcement training only see the instructor on stage. They don’t see the late-night emails, scheduling issues, travel logistics, contract negotiations, host agency communication, marketing, payment tracking, or the nonstop work happening behind the scenes. On this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Teresa, founder of BadgeOps, to discuss the side of the law enforcement training industry most people never hear about. Raised in a law enforcement family and later marrying into another police family, Teresa grew up around the realities of the profession. Her path into the training world began in 2017 by helping with marketing emails while seeing the challenges instructors faced behind the curtain. What started small eventually turned into years spent managing operations for a nationally recognized training company handling logistics, scheduling, sales, social media, and instructor support. Now partnered with LEO Network founder Matt Butler, Teresa is helping improve how instructors and agencies connect through communication, transparency, and operational support built specifically for the law enforcement training world. This episode goes beyond the stage and into the business, stress, politics, and realities of building something from the ground up.Because behind every successful class, somebody is carrying the weight nobody sees. “Beyond the Barrel is where we pour truths—straight, no chaser.” Timestamps: 02:04 – Badge Ops 05:22 – DC Sniper 10:39 – Career Goals 13:11 – Finance Background 17:08 – Conference Culture 22:07 – Instructor Contracts 28:06 – Biggest Challenges 39:14 – Transparency Talk 47:21 – Future Expansion 01:01:22 – Training Evolution If you like what you hear, like, subscribe and follow the Beyond the Barrel podcast on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_barrel_pod/⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

59: Hidden Mental Health Crisis in Policing: The Overwatch Collective Story

Who’s Saving the Ones Who Serve?  In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Greg Grogan a law enforcement officer who’s lived the job on both coasts, from the streets of Northern California to the front lines in Louisiana. But Greg’s story doesn’t stop at policing. A United States Marine. A current member of the Coast Guard Reserves. A man who’s seen what this life can take and decided to fight back for those still in it. After years in the profession, Greg recognized a problem most ignore: when cops and military members need help, they don’t trust the system built to support them. So he helped build something better. We dive into The Overwatch Collective a mission driven platform connecting first responders and military personnel with vetted, competent therapists across the country… while protecting what matters most: confidentiality, trust, and access when it’s needed most. This is a real conversation about service, identity, and what happens when the mission becomes taking care of your own. Because the truth is  we’re damn good at running toward chaos… but terrible at asking for help when it’s over. Off duty. Off script.  This is Beyond the Barrel. Timestamps:  08:00 — Career path 16:00 — SWAT life 24:00 — Burnout reality 26:30 — Overwatch origin 40:00 — Therapy access 48:00 — Trauma impact 56:00 — Culture shift 1:04:00 — Suicide causes 1:12:00 — Final insights If you like what you hear, like, subscribe and follow the Beyond the Barrel podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_barrel_pod/⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Ep 58: From Gary to Sheriff’s Race: Deputy Chief Edward Jenkins on Leadership, Legacy & Lake County

Beyond the badge… there’s a mission that never shuts off. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Deputy Chief Edward Jenkins has spent nearly 30 years in the fight—working his way from the Corrections Division to the front lines of homicide investigations in one of the toughest environments in the country. In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Jenkins as he breaks down a career built in the trenches—patrol, CSI, investigations, and time spent with the Gary Homicide Unit and Metro Homicide Task Force. This isn’t theory… this is real-world policing shaped by decades of violence, loss, and leadership under pressure. Now serving as Deputy Chief under Oscar Martinez since 2017, Jenkins is stepping into a new arena—running for Sheriff of Lake County. But this isn’t just about politics… it’s about vision, accountability, and what it really takes to lead from the front in today’s climate. This is a raw, no-BS conversation about experience, responsibility, and the kind of leadership the job demands—on the street and at the top. Because the job doesn’t end when you promote… it just gets heavier. Timestamps:  08:00 – Pension talk 15:00 – Jail struggles 22:00 – Work ethic 29:00 – Leadership style 36:00 – Homicide reality 43:00 – Missing cases 50:00 – Truth matters 57:00 – Police culture 1:06:00 – Final thoughts If you like what you hear, like, subscribe and follow the Beyond the Barrel podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_barrel_pod/⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Ep 57: Talking People Off the Edge: Crisis Negotiation, Leadership Pressure & the Future of Policing

What does it actually take to talk someone off the edge… and make the right call when everything is on the line? In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with Captain Khaliqa Wheatley, a 17-year law enforcement veteran, Crisis Negotiations Commander, and one of the most forward-thinking leaders in policing today, to break down the reality behind high-stakes decisions most people will never understand. Her story didn’t start with a badge—it started with adversity. Emancipated at just 15 after her mother struggled with mental health, and without a stable father figure, she had every reason to fall behind. Instead, she turned that hardship into fuel, building a life and career rooted in resilience, discipline, and purpose. From major crimes and human trafficking to narcotics, patrol, and leadership, she’s worked every side of the job. But she’s not just operating in the chaos—she’s studying it. As a doctoral student in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, she’s focused on fixing the hidden problems within law enforcement before they cost lives. This conversation dives into crisis negotiation, communication under pressure, mental health, and the future of policing. Off duty. Off script. And beyond the barrel. Timestamps:  02:00 – On Patrol Live 04:00 – Childhood Struggles 06:40 – Emancipation Story 10:00 – Survival Mindset 15:20 – Career Motivation 18:20 – Community Impact 24:20 – Family Reflection 34:15 – Personal Tragedy 45:30 – Mental Health Work 55:00 – Coping & Support 01:05:00 – Policing Differences 01:20:00 – System Challenges If you like what you hear, like, subscribe and follow the Beyond the Barrel podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_barrel_pod/⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]