In Episode 10 of Both Sides of the Badge, I sit down with Frank—a Marine, former police officer, corrections officer, and security professional—who shares a raw and honest look at life across multiple sides of the profession.

We talk about what it’s really like working inside corrections, being on the road, and operating alone in the security world. Frank breaks down the mindset it takes to deal with people at their worst, how situations escalate, and why communication and humility matter more than most realize.

This conversation goes deeper than the job.

Frank opens up about his struggle with alcohol, what led him there, and what it took to turn things around. He shares his perspective on recovery, accountability, and why too many in law enforcement carry the weight of the job in silence.

This episode is about perspective—not agreement.

It’s about understanding the realities behind the badge, the stress that comes with it, and the importance of finding a way to deal with it before it deals with you.

If you’re in law enforcement, corrections, security, or connected to the profession in any way, this is one worth listening to.

🎧 Listen here: https://beacons.ai/bothsidesofthebadge

Have a story or know someone who should be on the show? Reach out through the link above.

Episode 10 | Frank - The Long Road Back

Episode 9 sits down with Josh—a former law enforcement officer turned educator—whose story comes full circle in a way that really hits on both sides of the badge.

Josh started in the classroom before stepping into law enforcement, where he handled everything from mental health calls to high-risk situations. Along the way, he learned what actually matters on the job—communication, adaptability, and knowing how to meet people where they’re at.

Eventually, life brought him back to education—but this time, he brought the street experience with him.

In this episode, we get into:

 * The transition from teaching → law enforcement → back to teaching
 * What communication and de-escalation really look like in the field
 * Working alone and making decisions that actually matter
 * Leadership—what works, what doesn’t, and what’s missing
 * The mental side of the job and what sticks with you after shift ends
 * And how one simple idea—doing the right thing—connects it all

We also talk about Camp Badge, a program Josh built to connect kids with first responders and teach real-world responsibility, leadership, and life skills. What started small has grown into something that’s making a real impact in the community.

On top of that, Josh shares his experience writing a book that bridges both careers—law enforcement and education—in a way that’s real, practical, and easy to connect with.

📘 Josh’s Book:
A Retired Cop’s Guide to School Survival: From Handcuffs to Hall Passes
https://www.amazon.com/Retired-Cops-Guide-School-Survival/dp/B0DW8NMJMF?ref_=ast_author_mpb

📘 Camp Badge Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558063824113

This one isn’t about titles—it’s about perspective, growth, and what you carry with you from one chapter to the next.

If you take anything from this episode, it’s this:

Do the right thing.

Episode 9: Josh - From Handcuffs to Hall Passes

In this episode of Both Sides of the Badge, Garrett sits down with Megan Heil, a recently retired law enforcement officer with more than 22 years of experience in the profession.

Megan’s path into policing wasn’t a straight line. Early in her career, she faced setbacks that might have ended the journey for many people. After being released during the Field Training Officer (FTO) process while trying to balance a young family, she found herself at a crossroads — with her law enforcement certification close to expiring. Instead of walking away, Megan kept pushing forward and ultimately found an agency that gave her the opportunity to prove herself.

That decision led to a long career that included working in dispatch, patrol, training new officers as an FTO, and navigating the unique challenges of being a female officer in a male-dominated profession.

During the conversation, Megan shares:

 * What it was like starting a law enforcement career while raising a young family
 * The experience of failing out of FTO and finding the determination to keep going
 * The challenges female officers often face trying to find their place in the profession
 * The importance of mentorship and training in shaping the next generation of officers
 * How the culture around mental health in law enforcement is slowly beginning to change
 * Life after retirement and the work she is now doing to help others in the community

Like every episode of Both Sides of the Badge, this conversation focuses on real experiences, honest perspectives, and the human side of a profession that many people only see from the outside.

If you enjoy the show, consider sharing the episode with someone who might appreciate the conversation.

Listen and connect:
https://beacons.ai/bothsidesofthebadge

Episode 8 | Megan — Proving You Belong in Law Enforcement

Kelli’s path into law enforcement didn’t start in an academy — it started in a fifth-grade D.A.R.E. classroom.

In Episode 7 of Both Sides of the Badge, Kelli shares her journey from student to trooper, Drug Recognition Expert, and now founder of Trooper Turned Teacher.

We talk about raising kids while working nights. About mom guilt. About proving yourself in a male-dominated profession. About the pressure of testifying in court and the weight that comes with DUI enforcement — especially in a world of poly-drug use and marijuana legalization.

But more than that, this conversation is about seasons.

What happens when the work that once defined you begins to expand?
What does it look like to take what you learned on the road and carry it into a classroom instead?

Through Trooper Turned Teacher, Kelli works with schools and communities to educate students about substance misuse and impaired driving — reaching them before their worst day ever happens.

Learn More About Kelli

Website:
https://trooperturnteacher.com [https://trooperturnteacher.com/]

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573167466429

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

During our conversation, Kelli referenced videos related to energy drinks and impairment:

• https://youtu.be/4Iswj4V4BpA
• https://youtu.be/oVNdR-pk3l4

These were shared as part of the broader discussion around substances, awareness, and how education continues to evolve.

Find all episodes, social links, and updates for Both Sides of the Badge here:
👉 https://beacons.ai/bothsidesofthebadge

Topics discussed:
DUI enforcement, Drug Recognition Experts (DRE), impaired driving prevention, women in law enforcement, community education, substance misuse awareness.

Episode 7: Kelli  — From the Road to the Classroom

In this episode of Both Sides of the Badge, I sit down with Kathleen Dias, who also writes under the pseudonym Charlie Pitt. Kathleen is an award-winning columnist for Police1 and the voice behind The Rural Badge, a long-running project focused on law enforcement in rural and remote communities.

Our conversation moves through the lived realities of small agencies — isolation, limited resources, long distances, and the quiet pressure that comes with working where everyone knows your name. Kathleen shares how her background as a law enforcement spouse, writer, and researcher shaped the work she does today, and why so many rural stories never make it beyond local headlines.

We talk about risk, anger, resilience, institutional memory, and why “better” often matters more than “perfect.” This is a thoughtful, honest conversation about policing where geography matters — and where the stakes are often higher than people realize.

If this episode resonates with you, or if you carry a story that doesn’t fit neatly into a headline, I’d love to hear from you.

For more information, check out: www.beacons.ai/bothsidesofthebadge

Guest Links

 * Kathleen Dias on Police1:
   👉 https://www.police1.com/Kathleen-Dias/ [https://www.police1.com/Kathleen-Dias/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]
 * The Rural Badge:
   👉 https://theruralbadge.com [https://theruralbadge.com/]
   👉 https://www.facebook.com/TheRuralBadge

Show Links

 * Listen on Spotify:
   👉 https://open.spotify.com/episode/1sf04Z0tAM682aN4FCibwt?si=0LagZVx6Q2WR2jOZxbPMTw
 * Listen on Apple Podcasts:
   👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-6-kathleen-dias-charlie-pitt-rural-policing/id1843954017?i=1000747700997 [https://podcasts.apple.com/]
 * Follow Both Sides of the Badge on Instagram and Facebook

Episode 6 - Kathleen Dias (Charlie Pitt):  Rural Policing, Quiet Pressure, and the Stories That Don’t Travel

In Episode 5 of Both Sides of the Badge, Garrett sits down in person with longtime friend and fellow public servant Molly Lewis, whose life journey spans military service in Iraq, years in law enforcement, and now a career in nursing.

Molly opens up about her deployment as a military police officer, the intensity of day-to-day life in a combat zone, and the devastating loss of a fellow soldier only 30 days before returning home. She shares how living at a constant state of alert—“an 11 out of 10”—reshaped her emotionally, mentally, and physically long after leaving Iraq.

From the battlefield to the streets back home, Molly describes how combat trauma carried into policing, influencing how she saw people, threats, and the world around her. She speaks candidly about anger, grief, and the slow realization that trauma doesn’t disappear just because the uniform changes.

Now working as a nurse, Molly reflects on service in a new form—one centered on compassion, connection, and understanding the human struggles behind every call, every patient, every moment. She highlights the importance of empathy across professions and communities, emphasizing that everyone carries unseen stories and unspoken burdens.

This conversation is raw, grounded, and deeply personal—an honest look at what it means to serve, survive, and find a new path forward.

🎧 A must-listen episode for anyone seeking to understand the real human experiences behind the badge, behind the uniform, and behind the trauma.

#BothSidesOfTheBadge #LawEnforcementStories #VeteranVoices #MilitaryPolice #IraqVeteran #WomenInLawEnforcement #FirstResponderStories #MentalHealthMatters #PolicingWithHeart #BehindTheBadge #PublicService #CommunityAndCops #PodcastEpisode #TrueStories #CombatToCare #WomenInService #TraumaAndRecovery #HealingAfterService

Episode 5 — “Molly Lewis: Combat, Policing, and Healing”

In this powerful episode of Both Sides of the Badge, Garrett sits down with longtime friend and highly respected law enforcement professional Megan Alstatt, who brings more than 23 years of experience spanning patrol, investigations, and fugitive recovery.

Megan opens up about her journey from growing up in a law enforcement family in Cleveland to earning a full-ride scholarship, becoming a deputy, and eventually building a respected career handling some of the most emotionally demanding cases in the field. She shares deeply personal stories about her father — a Marine, Vietnam veteran, and patrol sergeant — whose example shaped her sense of honor, service, and responsibility.

Together, Garrett and Megan explore what it means to be a woman in law enforcement, the pressure of high expectations, and the reality of proving yourself in a male-dominated profession. Megan talks candidly about the emotional toll of sex-crimes investigations, balancing motherhood with duty, the moments that nearly broke her, and the strength it takes to step back when the weight becomes too heavy.

This episode is raw, heartfelt, inspiring, and incredibly human — a reminder of the unseen emotional labor behind the badge and the compassion that drives good cops to keep showing up.

Topics include:

 * Megan’s start in law enforcement and the influence of      her father
 * Being a woman in a traditionally male field
 * High-pressure investigations and emotional resilience
 * The balance between officer, wife, mother, and      protector
 * When a case changes you — and when to step away
 * The importance of service, empathy, and community

If you’ve ever wondered what real strength looks like in this profession, this conversation offers a rare, honest look into the heart of someone who lives the job with integrity, humility, and courage.

#BothSidesOfTheBadge #LawEnforcementStories #WomenInLawEnforcement #InvestigatorLife #TrueCrime #FirstResponderLife #LEOPodcast #BehindTheBadge #PolicePodcast #TraumaAndResilience #CopsAndCommunity #SurvivorSupport #ThinBlueLineFamily #CriminalInvestigations #PodcastEpisode

4: Investigator - Megan Alstatt

In this episode of Both Sides of the Badge, host Garrett Duncan introduces the podcast, shares the personal journey that inspired it, and explains the mission behind exploring the stories of law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Listeners will hear about the  insights and experiences that shaped the show, and learn what to expect from future episodes — candid conversations with officers, prosecutors, community members, families, and experts.

This episode sets the stage for honest, thoughtful dialogue, aiming to bridge the gap between the badge and the community, and invites listeners to be part of the conversation.

3: Host - Investigator - Garrett Duncan

Pete DePrez – Show Notes

Meet Pete DePrez, founder of the ASM Foundation — an organization dedicated to helping veterans and first responders heal from the stress and trauma that come with serving others. After years in law enforcement and SWAT, Pete faced his own battle with PTSD and discovered powerful tools like breathwork, cold and heat exposure, and mindfulness to rebuild his life. Now, he’s sharing those same practices to help others find healing and resilience on their own journeys.

Follow the ASM Foundation: 🌐 https://asmfoundation.com
Follow Both Sides of the Badge:
📘 Facebook: @BothSidesOfTheBadgePodcast
📸 Instagram: @BothSidesOfTheBadgePodcast

#BothSidesOfTheBadge #ASMFoundation #FirstResponders #Veterans #PTSDRecovery #MentalHealthMatters #Resilience #HealingJourney #Mindfulness #Breathwork

2: Deputy - Pete DePrez

Aris is a former Military Police officer in the United States Army, where she served for six and a half years, including two deployments. During her service, she worked in Military Investigations, gaining firsthand experience in some of the Army’s most demanding environments. After leaving active duty, Aris continued her service as a contractor, deploying two more times overseas. Today, she’s here to share her journey—the challenges, the lessons learned, and the perspective she’s gained along the way. And full transparency—Aris isn’t just a guest; she’s also my sister.

1: Former MP - Aris Duncan

Both Sides of the Badge creates space for sworn and civilian professionals across public safety and justice-adjacent roles to talk openly about their work and experiences.

Conversations focus on lived experience, not debate or advocacy. Guests speak only for themselves, are not asked to represent an agency, and are never expected to share confidential information.