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3: Host - Investigator - Garrett Duncan
75 Plays7 months ago
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.
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Transcript
Introduction to Both Sides of the Badge
00:00:27
Speaker
Welcome to Both Sides of the Badge. I'm Garrett, and thank you for being here. This is the third episode, but there's not going to be a guest. It's going to be me talking about me, which is so far not going well at all.
00:00:45
Speaker
I've been trying. This is like, I don't know, the 34th attempt at getting this episode started.
00:00:53
Speaker
But it's going to be me talking about both sides of the badge and what it's about and why I started it. And honestly, what I hope it becomes. um Both sides of the badge is, is going to be about more than policing, crime, headlines, politics.
The Podcast's Mission
00:01:12
Speaker
I want it to be about learning and understanding and empathy. ah want it to be ah place where those involved in law enforcement and the justice system can share their stories.
00:01:26
Speaker
It's supposed to show that there are two sides of a badge, a side you see and a side you don't. you know there's Because behind every call for service, every report, every moment on the news, every court hearing, every 911 call, anything you can think of, there's a person.
00:01:45
Speaker
And they've got a story to share. And that's why both sides of the badge is here. It's here to explore the unseen, the unthought of, maybe even the forgotten.
00:01:58
Speaker
For me, law
Garrett's Law Enforcement Journey
00:01:59
Speaker
enforcement isn't just a topic, it's personal. I've been involved in law enforcement for over 20 years.
00:02:07
Speaker
Law enforcement isn't about just the boots on the ground. It's not just the people you see, the cops in uniform, the the patrol cars you see driving around town.
00:02:18
Speaker
It's about the other people you didn't realize were involved in the justice system. It's about members of the Department Human Services or Adult Protective Services. It's about those that take cases through the court system, judges, court clerks, prosecutors, district attorneys, defense attorneys even.
00:02:38
Speaker
Let's see, there's jail staff, correctional officers, probation officers, parole officers, child advocacy centers, National um Center for Missing and Exploited Children, NECMEC, Internet Crimes Against Children, ICAC.
00:02:59
Speaker
Military even has its own form of law enforcement, but they're military police, like we learned in the first episode of with my sister. It's federal law enforcement. there's There's so many different types of law enforcement and people involved in the justice system.
00:03:15
Speaker
And I want to provide a platform where, one, they get to share their stories, why they do what they do, who they are, and where they fit in.
00:03:26
Speaker
and two to be able to to educate.
00:03:32
Speaker
I spent years in this profession. profession I've seen the best and the worst.
The Importance of Dialogue over Arguments
00:03:37
Speaker
I've seen courage, compassion, exhaustion. I've missed holidays, weekends, birthdays, missed it all.
00:03:49
Speaker
But I've also seen moments that have changed lives and changed hearts.
00:03:55
Speaker
But I've also seen those moments where the tensions are high between law enforcement and the community.
00:04:09
Speaker
And I kept thinking, what if we actually talked about it? We didn't argue. We didn't defend. What if we just talked?
00:04:21
Speaker
And that's where this podcast came from.
00:04:25
Speaker
Like I said, I've been involved in law enforcement for ah good hot minute. And I've had arguments with people. can't say arguments, disagreements. And sometimes we we just need to talk. and In today's society, all we ever see is people bashing on each other and how bad everybody is. But nobody truly listens and tries to understand.
00:04:50
Speaker
There's always two sides to a story.
00:04:55
Speaker
And you'll probably hear me say this a lot.
Understanding Through Diverse Perspectives
00:04:57
Speaker
The show isn't going to be taking sides. um I'm not here to force opinions. I'm not here to to get people to believe one way or the other.
00:05:12
Speaker
it's It's about understanding people. That simple, but powerful. We just want to understand. We just want to share stories.
00:05:25
Speaker
So the mission is to build that understanding. And again, understanding. I don't know if everybody truly and ah knows what that means. So oh let's go back to our good faithful.
00:05:37
Speaker
let's Let's GTS that. Let's Google that shit. Understanding. The ability to understand something. Comprehension.
00:05:48
Speaker
People also ask, what is another word for understanding? Understanding. Synonyms for understanding include comprehension, grasp, knowledge, awareness, and insight when referring to the ability to grasp concepts.
00:06:04
Speaker
Yeah, that's the point. um Let's build some understanding, some knowledge, some awareness.
00:06:14
Speaker
We'll talk with people who wear the badge. Those guys, officers, deputies, you know, that are actually out there with the boots on the ground.
00:06:25
Speaker
I'm hoping to actually talk with you know prosecutors and dispatchers and correctional officers, because they're a whole different side.
00:06:38
Speaker
want to talk with community leaders, families that have been affected in some way, shape or form, whether it's good or bad by the justice system and law enforcement.
Focus on Empathy and Connection
00:06:51
Speaker
This is not a platform for blame. It's not about pushing agendas. It's about connecting. It's about empathy. Because at the end of the day, empathy doesn't mean agreement.
00:07:06
Speaker
It means understanding.
00:07:09
Speaker
Before launching this podcast, I didn't just hit record. One, I'm in my 40s and it took a little while to figure out what I needed to do to even find the stinking record button.
00:07:24
Speaker
And here in my notes, I do have that I did some of my homework, but in all honesty, it's mostly just from experience.
00:07:33
Speaker
In the second episode that I did with Pete, I asked him the question of why do people, why should people trust you? Like what what but what gives you the reason to sit here and tell your story and why should people come to you?
Garrett's Background and Upbringing
00:07:51
Speaker
So that's where we'll get into. Let's start with my early life. I was born in California, moved to Colorado when I was like six. Went back to California all the time. My family's from Porterville, California.
00:08:05
Speaker
Kind of a, I don't know, kind of a dust hole. But yeah, at one point in time, they were known for oranges and olives and all kinds of stuff. But I still have a lot of family back there.
00:08:18
Speaker
Had a lot of fun, made a lot of friends. I enjoyed it.
00:08:23
Speaker
And then we moved to Colorado in June 1990, maybe. I can't remember. And a normal kid, my sister and i as you heard, we we grew up, we were pretty close. We were only like 18 months apart.
00:08:37
Speaker
Outside playing. Latchkey kids. Mom and dad would be gone before we'd head to school. They wouldn't be home until well after. to do our chores.
00:08:48
Speaker
You know, stuff like that. So, kind of, you know, that blue collar family. Mom did her thing. Dad was always working. Plowing snow, contracting work, pushing a lawnmower.
00:09:01
Speaker
You know, everything. So my sister and I grew up knowing how to work.
00:09:13
Speaker
We attended many different schools. I don't really know why.
00:09:18
Speaker
i guess maybe because I just kept redrawing the districts for the different schools. I don't know. Whatever. My sister and I were always pretty close, but. Went through a bunch of middle schools, I mean a bunch of elementary schools, some middle schools, high schools. We were sports kids.
00:09:34
Speaker
um Never got into football, but I was always a baseball guy. I enjoyed baseball. Enjoyed that a lot.
00:09:42
Speaker
And then graduated and honestly, I didn't really know what to do with myself. you know I come from a family where they really pushed going to college. I didn't want to, but that was the thing to do. i mean It was still at that tail end of that generation where you had to go to school.
Career Path to Investigator
00:09:59
Speaker
so The only thing that really interested me was law enforcement, but at the same time, I was still pretty big in baseball.
00:10:06
Speaker
decided to do that, so I'll go to college and play baseball. Well, baseball didn't work out, and i was still studying criminal justice. and At some point,
00:10:18
Speaker
I had a pretty good fight with my parents and decided it was time to just become an adult. So honestly, I didn't actually finish my degree. I just went straight into the academy.
00:10:31
Speaker
Finished that in December 2004. And before you knew it, I was hitting the road in January 2005. two thousand five
00:10:44
Speaker
Man, was I ready to hit the road. What is it? Kick ass, take names, chase people, fight crime. And then you soon realize it's more about writing reports.
00:11:01
Speaker
But that's okay. I had some good FTOs. I enjoyed them. I learned a lot. One of them is now a chief of a small town here in Western Colorado. Probably one of the the the few that I still actually kind of look up to.
00:11:15
Speaker
Still kind of a mentor to me. shaped a lot of how I do what I do and why I do what I do.
00:11:24
Speaker
When I first put that badge on, man, that was fun. I put in so much time.
00:11:31
Speaker
Honestly, the place I worked, they have a deal where then your first 15 years, you get a big bump in like your time off, you know, your vacation and sick time.
00:11:48
Speaker
And i I hit that bump. Oh, and it's paid by, or it's, it's counted by like hours worked. And I did that in like 13 years, but that's a whole different thing. So within my career, I've been a field training officer, SFST instructor end talks, um, started a canine program. I was the, uh,
00:12:15
Speaker
K-9 trainer started a really cool program. My first dog too low. Amazing dog. It was a single purpose for the most part drugs, tracking evidence recovery, beautiful lab.
00:12:26
Speaker
Amazing. Oh, what else have I done? I spent about 16 years at that agency, small agency. I think we had, I can't remember 20, maybe sworn.
00:12:44
Speaker
Moved from there after about 16 years, went to a small sheriff's office for a couple years, ah made patrol sergeant. And then something just still wasn't quite what I was looking for. And ultimately what it boiled down to is was ready to get off the road.
00:13:01
Speaker
And I became an investigator for the district attorney's office in the area that I work at. I've been doing that for honestly, I think just the other day was my three year mark.
00:13:12
Speaker
My current spot, I'm working with all kinds of cases. All of the traffic offenses, minor petty thefts, misdemeanor assaults, domestic violences, a felony assaults, felony domestic violences, menacings, frauds, you know investigating inter internet crimes against children, all that stuff.
00:13:47
Speaker
Even with all those in mind, people ask me like, why do you do this?
Why Continue in Law Enforcement?
00:13:51
Speaker
And you know what? That takes me back to one of the prosecutors I was working with a couple years ago.
00:13:58
Speaker
you would He was younger and he was having a rough day dealing with another sex assault case. And he asked me that, like, how how have you done this for so long? And, you know, when you first get into law enforcement and you're ready to,
00:14:13
Speaker
run and gun and catch bad guys and throw them in jail. And after a while, you realize it's not really about that. It's it's more about just being that, I guess, hero, that person that that somebody needs when they can't be their own hero, ah person that person that's there to help hold their hand and walk them through the most difficult time of their life.
00:14:43
Speaker
And maybe it isn't even really that difficult, but it's just being human. That's why we do it. That's why I do it. I speak, I guess, just for myself.
00:14:55
Speaker
You know, in the 20 years that I've been in law enforcement, I've seen the good and the bad. And I was involved in a critical incident in 2010. was actually shot in the line of duty, went through some dark times there.
00:15:10
Speaker
You know, and I wonder what's hard after a while. You know, I've come out good on the on the other end of it, but it was hard.
00:15:23
Speaker
Some people know, some people don't. The people that listen to this, that know me, that know the demons that came through, no know the difficult times. um You know, another reason why i kind of started this whole podcast is you know for people to be able to share that, try to make it easier, so talk about mental health and talk about know changing the way law enforcement, not just the guys that hit the road, even um in in the
00:15:56
Speaker
the courts, prosecutors and all that stuff, changing that mindset because ultimately that prosecutor told you about that, asked me how have I done this for so long, he's not in it anymore.
00:16:07
Speaker
He got burnt out. he couldn't do it anymore. Well, he probably could, but he needed some time off.
00:16:18
Speaker
And there's been plenty of times where i've I've questioned why I do what I do because sometimes it just doesn't seem fair.
00:16:27
Speaker
You know, you put your whole life, your whole effort, everything you are as a cop, as an investigator, as a human into a case to investigate it and it just seems like once it leaves your hands
00:16:44
Speaker
you have no idea what's going to happen and sometimes it seems fair and sometimes it doesn't and sometimes when it doesn't it makes you question why you're doing this job but at the end of the day one somebody's got to do it one that makes sure that somebody else doesn't have to because Doing this job kind of sucks sometimes.
Amusing Early Career Anecdotes
00:17:11
Speaker
But on the happy note, there's a lot of cool things that come from this. You know, I've got to meet some great people, make some great friends. When I was working the canine program, I got to hang out with kids all the time. That was so fun.
00:17:26
Speaker
There was one time, ah can't even say one time, I'd take my dog too low and we'd go play at the park and all the kids would want to come play with the dog because you know he's wearing a cool vest that says police and I'm a cop and they want to try to outrun the dog. So weirdly, I'd play fetch with children.
00:17:43
Speaker
I'd tell them, all right, if you can get the ball before the dog does, then I'll let you throw the ball for the dog. I don't think I ever had one kid beat the dog. But hey, we all had a blast.
00:17:57
Speaker
but oh those were the good old days but now i'm stuck in an office and honestly this job it has changed me over the years like i said you know when i first got into law enforcement running gunning ready to have fun was involved in like 12 or 15 foot pursuits in my first year I actually ended up getting the nickname Yard Sale within the first year i was working because every time I got in a foot pursuit, I lost something.
00:18:31
Speaker
So they just started calling me Yard Sale. And that was my nickname for a really long time. And actually, i kind of kept losing things in foot pursuits for a really long time. There was this one time we knew this guy was going to run.
00:18:45
Speaker
he gave us a false name and and me and the the sergeant. I don't recall if he was a sergeant at the time, but... We kept looking at each other and this guy's looking in opposite directions. There's one out one place he could run and he did. He took it.
00:18:59
Speaker
And before I know it, we're chasing this guy down an alley and I'm trying to call out on the radio. But then my shoulder mic ends up in my hand and I kind of remember looking at it and my pack sets just bouncing on the ground behind me. But I knew the other guy was behind me so I just let go of it.
00:19:15
Speaker
Yeah, I didn't live that one down for a long time either.
00:19:21
Speaker
But hey, the stories, you know some of those war stories we're talking about.
00:19:28
Speaker
Well, enough about me, I suppose, for now. After all this 20 years in law enforcement, there's a question that I guess that you know I've thought of quite a bit.
Mental Health Awareness in Law Enforcement
00:19:42
Speaker
And it's, what do I wish other people, you know people outside, criminal justice, law enforcement understood?
00:19:55
Speaker
Just anybody, honestly. what it What do i wish they understood?
00:20:02
Speaker
And from an officer, law enforcement officer, cop's perspective, it's I want people to understand some of the mental health struggles that I don't think are talked about enough.
00:20:16
Speaker
We always hear about you know, veterans and and stuff like that.
00:20:22
Speaker
And I think we need to share more about, you know, us here and the struggles we go through, you know, the burnout, you know, how how it feels when the public only sees our uniform.
00:20:38
Speaker
And especially today that, you know, the ah uniform, I'm doing air quotes is triggering, you know, even the community and what they fear and mistrust, you know, and some of their lasting scars from encounters that they've had families.
00:21:03
Speaker
Um, I, uh, just recently lost one of my best friends in the line of duty. And I know it's affected not only me significantly, but I know it's affected his family.
00:21:17
Speaker
um That would be great story to have shared on this podcast. can I don't think you a lot of people have the opportunity hear.
00:21:31
Speaker
Getting to hear from a child that has lost a parent in the line of duty. you know they they They grew up with this person in their life as a ah figure who they looked up to and and did some good and suddenly they're gone, you know, seeing that effect.
00:21:53
Speaker
That's what both sides of the badge is here to try to share.
00:21:59
Speaker
Now I'm going to do an episode a week. Bear with me. I know the last one, the sound quality wasn't very good. I'm new. This is not easy.
00:22:15
Speaker
So we'll try to do it each week. And each week, there's not going spins. There's not going to be any sound bites. I'm not that creative. But it is just going to be me sitting down with different people and talking.
00:22:31
Speaker
And honestly, I'm hoping to to cover officer wellness, you know, not even just officer wellness, but but people involved in in the justice system's wellness. you know Members of the prosecution teams or defense team, they're getting you know this secondhand trauma from being involved in these cases and the struggles they go through and what they can do or what they have done.
00:23:04
Speaker
Cover topics like that, hopefully. You know, talk to community new members and their trust and what they've gone through, whether they are trustful or not trustful and what could be done to make them feel better.
00:23:17
Speaker
You know, try to cover trauma stories. Like I said, I was involved in a shooting in 2010. and two thousand ten You know, maybe as this podcast grows and and gets bigger, you know, we'll touch on that more um when we speak with other officers involved in and the line critical incidents.
00:23:36
Speaker
You know, how we recovered, how we've healed from that. You know, stories that rarely make headlines even. You know, we always hear about officer-involved shootings and stuff, but why not listen to somebody that's got a different story to share?
00:23:52
Speaker
You know, one where maybe somebody did step in, and while it might seem terrible to be, i don't know, removed from your parents' care as a child, but maybe it benefited you.
00:24:08
Speaker
Or maybe it didn't. You know, let's hear those stories. Now, want to ask the tough questions, but I also want to just be honest.
00:24:19
Speaker
Because if we can't feel, we can't heal, right? At the end of the day, this show matters because we people that' who we are.
00:24:35
Speaker
i mean, we're not just cops or prosecutors or Department Human Services. We're people. We matter.
00:24:46
Speaker
And when people talk, when we really talk and we really listen, things can start to shift.
Connecting with the Human Side of Law Enforcement
00:24:55
Speaker
You know, the badge, criminal justice, law enforcement, it's powerful.
00:25:03
Speaker
But it's not a wall. It's symbol of protection, of service, sometimes of pain. And on the other side of the badge is someone one who deserves to be seen and heard also.
00:25:18
Speaker
So I think um I've covered quite a bit about what I'm hoping both sides of the badge will bring everyone. everyone
00:25:30
Speaker
So if you're listening right now, here's my big ask. Be a part of this.
00:25:37
Speaker
If you wear a badge or you used to, we want to hear your story. If you're involved in the justice system in some way, or you've been affected by the justice system in some way, we want to hear from you.
00:25:54
Speaker
We all have experiences that have changed us in some way.
00:26:01
Speaker
And we want to hear it. We want to be educated. We want to learn. We want to listen.
Invitation for Listener Participation
00:26:07
Speaker
So if you want to be a part of it, please reach out to us, me, because it's just me at this point, by email, bothsidesofthebadge at gmail.com.
00:26:18
Speaker
We're on Facebook, both sides of the badge. We're on Instagram, both sides of the badge. Just search us. should be able to find us.
00:26:29
Speaker
Thank you for spending time with me, for listening with an open mind, hopefully with an open heart. mean, in all honesty, why would you be listening even this far in if you didn't?
00:26:43
Speaker
So this is just the beginning. you know This is the third episode. So we're gonna explore you know what happens when we stop you know shouting across divides and just start talking across them instead.
00:26:58
Speaker
So I'm Garrett, and this is Both Sides of the Badge. Thank you.