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

Ep 62: Police Defensive Tactics with a Pro Fighter Turned Cop: Direct Action Training

Most Cops Aren’t Ready to Go Hands-On — Steven Chin Explains Why Steven Chin has spent nearly three decades immersed in the world of combat, defensive tactics, firearms, and survival training—where failure can cost lives and preparation is everything. As the owner of Direct Action Training Inc., Steven provides specialized instruction in hand-to-hand combat, edged weapons, improvised tools, CQB firearm tactics, and defensive strategies to military personnel, law enforcement, private military contractors, and security professionals operating in high-risk environments. But this conversation goes far beyond training. Steven opens up about the mindset required to survive violence, the realities of operating on an elite SWAT and sniper team, and what separates performance on the range from performance under pressure. From competing in striking and grappling arts in both the U.S. and U.K. to training under world champions and legendary weapons instructors, Steven has built a career around mastering chaos. Currently serving with the Sheriff’s Office Tactical Training Unit, SWAT Team, and Sniper Team, Steven is responsible for developing and instructing training for officers who may face life-or-death encounters at any moment. His background includes extensive certifications through FLETC and active shooter response programs, while his instruction continues to shape law enforcement defensive tactics and special response teams across multiple agencies. This episode dives into violence, preparedness, leadership, combat psychology, and the truth about what it really takes to operate in dangerous environments when everything is on the line. Beyond the Barrel is where we pour truths—straight, no chaser. Timestamps:  08:46 – Military Contracting 14:01 – Fighting Discipline 21:31 – MMA Evolution 26:53 – Brutal UK Sparring 34:24 – Living The Fight Life 42:40 – Future Of Fighting 45:30 – Kimbo Slice Era 52:17 – Jake Paul Debate 58:40 – Defensive Tactics Training 1:26:07 – Real World Encounters 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 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]