66: You can't handle the truth! What Police Officers Need To Know About Going to Court, and How Police and Prosecutors Can Restore Public Trust
Release Date: 06/01/2020
187: It's Chess AND Checkers--Tactics and Strategy Unite!
Tactical Tangents
Why do we focus so much on tactics and so little on strategy? In this episode, Mike and Jim tackle the divide between street-level action and big-picture thinking. Drawing on lessons from policing, the military, and community crime prevention, they explore how individual cops, community members, and leaders can influence criminal decision-making—not just react to it. Topics include resource constraints, the Broken Windows theory, and strategies for shifting offender perceptions to prevent crime before it occurs. Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube)...
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186: Hazing vs. Hardening: Building Strong Teams Without Breaking People
Tactical Tangents
In this episode, we explore the fine line between hazing and hard training in high-performing teams like law enforcement, the military, and the fire service. Mike and Jim talk about how shared hardship, onboarding rituals, and team standards can strengthen—or sabotage—unit cohesion. When does “paying your dues” cross the line? How do we build tough, resilient people without creating toxic culture? We tackle the definitions, intent, and impact of hazing, and offer practical insight on setting the tone for new teammates through strong leadership, clear expectations, and purposeful...
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185: Kids These Days - Leading Across Generations
Tactical Tangents
Have you noticed that the new guys coming in to your program aren’t as good as you remember yourself being? Does it seem like they need a WHOLE LOT of teaching, cajoling, and coaching? Let’s figure out why and figure out what to do about it. Links: Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube) @TacTangents. You can join the conversation in our Facebook Discussion Group. Find all of our episodes, articles, some reading list ideas, and more on our website www.tacticaltangents.com Like what we’re doing? Head over to Patreon and give us a buck for each new...
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184: “Fire As A Weapon, Chapter 12” -Sun Tzu, Probably.
Tactical Tangents
Mike & Jim discuss the tactical considerations for critical incidents involving fire as a weapon. Should we send fire fighters in with cops? Should we add one more training requirement to overtasked police? If someone is making a threat with fire can you shoot him? Should you? Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube) @TacTangents. You can join the conversation in our . Find all of our episodes, articles, some reading list ideas, and more on our website Like what we’re doing? Head over to and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make...
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183: HONOR: Your Own Rules
Tactical Tangents
Mike & Jim discuss what honor means in the tactical jobs. Is honesty the best policy? What if other people on your team are lying, cheating, or stealing? Does honor still matter in today’s world? Is it okay to cheat on your girlfriend or your workout? Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube) @TacTangents. You can join the conversation in our . Find all of our episodes, articles, some reading list ideas, and more on our website Like what we’re doing? Head over to and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make a one-time contribution...
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182: Catching Up After a Busy Week
Tactical Tangents
Mike tells us about recent lessons from training, and Jim tells us about arguments he had on the neighborhood facebook page about CHEMTRAILS and whether birds are real. Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube) @TacTangents. You can join the conversation in our . Find all of our episodes, articles, some reading list ideas, and more on our website Like what we’re doing? Head over to and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make a one-time contribution at . Intro music credit Bensound.com
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181: Times Jim Has Called 911
Tactical Tangents
Jim tells Mike about some of the emergencies he has faced on the ground. We discuss when to call 911, what to tell them, and what first aid Jim applied as well as whether he got sued for helping someone. Did he thwart a murder plot in a hot air balloon? What exactly is degloving? Tune in and find out. Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube) @TacTangents. You can join the conversation in our . Find all of our episodes, articles, some reading list ideas, and more on our website Like what we’re doing? Head over to and give us a buck for each new...
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180: Balance: Pace Yourself, it's a Marathon, not a Sprint
Tactical Tangents
The boys talk us through how to achieve work-life balance in full-commitment jobs like aviation, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and other critical roles. Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube) @TacTangents. You can join the conversation in our . Find all of our episodes, articles, some reading list ideas, and more on our website Like what we’re doing? Head over to and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make a one-time contribution at . Intro music credit Bensound.com
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179: The Boogeyman of Coeur d'Alene – The Crimes of Joseph Duncan
Tactical Tangents
We delve into the horrifying crimes of a convicted serial predator whose reign of terror culminated in the brutal murders of the Groene family in 2005. We’ll explore Duncan’s dark past and the stalking and execution-style killings that led to the abduction of Shasta and Dylan Groene. We talk about managing our consumption of evil things in the world, the impact that has on our parenting, and we unravel how media efforts helped bring one of the most dangerous offenders in U.S. history to justice. Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube) @TacTangents. You can join...
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178: “Be Curious, Not Judgmental.” How to Deal with a Big Ego
Tactical Tangents
Cops, military folks, pilots, medical professionals have some things in common. One of the BIG commonalities is a collection of BIG egos. Mike & Jim will walk us through how to navigate those egos to create a tactical advantage in a high performing team. Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube) @TacTangents. You can join the conversation in our . Find all of our episodes, articles, some reading list ideas, and more on our website Like what we’re doing? Head over to and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make a one-time...
info_outlineChief Criminal Deputy County Attorney Jonathan Mosher (Pima County, Arizona) and Homicide Detective Josh Cheek share their lessons learned from taking serious violent offenders to trial and how police officers can be better witnesses. We also discuss the importance of establishing and retaining public trust by the way we investigate and prosecute crimes. Other Tangents include some commentary on the War on Drugs, the CSI effect, and considerations for arrest and charging decisions for law enforcement.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Win Your Case, by Gerry Spence
"The Lelevier Case:" Man murders his step-daughter
Tucson Police Officer shot in the head
Like what we’re doing? Head over to Patreon and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make a one-time contribution at GoFundMe.
intro music credit bensound.com