Our LAPD Story returns with a brand new episode.   LAPD Detective Brent Hopkins has lived two lives, one as a journalist for a major Los Angeles newspaper and the other as a police officer.  While these two careers are often at odds, Hopkins believes there are many similarities in the professions.  In fact, he believes a healthy working relationship between the press and the police is critical.  It&apos;s just one of the lessons he has learned walking from one side of the yellow police tape to the other.

Our LAPD Story

This Side of the Yellow Tape

There is no doubt we are living through some of the most contentious of times. From an ever-evolving international pandemic to civil and social unrest, 2020 has been a year of constant change and unmitigated social angst, with law enforcement at the center of most of it. On this episode of Our LAPD Story, we meet up with Officer Michael Silva. While his name might not ring any bells, you more than likely have seen a now viral video of Officer Silva having racial slurs being hurled at him, and smoke being blown in his face during a recent episode of social unrest in Los Angeles. At face value, an incident like this might seem common place in today&apos;s day and age, however Officer Silva is an outlier as a proud African-American man, who grew up homeless to a mother who was addicted to drugs. The age-old saying is &apos;you should never judge a book by its cover&apos; and Officer Silva is living proof that you just can&apos;t. 

You Can't Judge a Book...

Officer Pablo Soto grew up in South Los Angeles surrounded by a large family, with LAPD officers only coming around when something had gone wrong. Guided by a constant need to serve, he joined the military straight out of high school. After serving his country, Officer Soto was ready to serve Los Angeles, but specifically the neighborhood he grew up in. On this episode of Our LAPD Story, we sit down with Officer Soto, and learn a little bit more about what drove him to serve the city that raised him, and how went from a cop that was focused on putting criminals behind bars to building relationships with the residents of the Pueblo Del Rio housing development. 

Coming Home

From being diagnosed with COVID-19, to working around the clock during the recent days civil unrest that surged across our country as a result of the brutal murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Commander Cory Palka has had one of the busiest five weeks of his 30+ year career. Commander Palka has dedicated his life and career to living by the golden rule: treat others as you would want to be treated. In this episode of Our LAPD Story, we sit down with Commander Palka as he reflects on his career, and how a lifetime of dedication to principled patience and understanding, continues to resonate with those he serves. 

A Moment

A career in medicine, and a career in law enforcement. Ask almost anyone, and they would say the two could not be more different. But here in Los Angeles, within the LAPD, both worlds come together in one person: Doctor Kenji Inaba. Doctor Inaba wears many hats--Keck Hospital of USC Professor of Surgery (Clinical Scholar)-Keck Hospital of USC Director, General Surgery Program-Keck Hospital of USC Vice Chair, Department of Surgery-Keck Hospital of USC Chief of Trauma, Emergency Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care-LAPD Reserve Officer.In this episode we sit down with Kenji to get some insight into what led him towards a career in medicine, and also what drove him to simultaneously pursue an opportunity to protect and serve Angelenos. We also get an invaluable opportunity to get some perspective on the severity of this COVID-19 crisis from one of our city&apos;s top medical minds on the front lines. 

A Surgical Approach

None of us could have imagined what life would be like today. Every day bringing a new set of developments and news related to COVID-19, more commonly referred to as the Corona Virus. In this episode of Our LAPD Story, we take you along as we head out onn patrol with LAPD Senior Lead Officer Jennifer Poepke of Topanga Division in the San Fernando Valley. While many Angelenos are working remote from home, LAPD Officers are not. Officer Poepke takes us along as she checks on some of our city&apos;s most vital locations- grocery stores -all while telling us about her LAPD story, and how this crisis is striking a familiar chord with all of us, no matter our profession, and how the Department is proactively responding. 

We Are In This Together

By all accounts, Officer Georges Kanzoghian (also known as Officer Kano) was dealt a difficult hand in life. He was born in war-torn Lebanon, surrounded by death and destruction. He quickly adopted a negative mindset...an understandable byproduct of his surroundings. But that wasn&apos;t a destination Georges was satisfied reaching. After immigrating to the United States, he decided to make his own luck. From going to college, to joining the Marines Corps, to eventually joining the Los Angeles Police Department. Georges took destiny into his own hands, and learned about life along the way, and even more about himself. LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=d0o7KP3C4ZE&feature=emb_logo

War-torn Optimism

Aaron Green never really considered law enforcement as a career while he was in college. He was no stranger to the profession that is policing however. His dad, LAPD Lieutenant Mark Green, recently retired after 32 years of dedicated service, so Aaron decided to follow in his Dad&apos;s footsteps. On this episode of Our LAPD Story, we follow now Officer Green through his first day as an LAPD Officer, and learn why he decided to make policing the second largest city in the country, his profession. 

Drinking Water From a Firehose

When LAPD Officer Jamie Carganilla goes end of watch (the end of her shift), she does something somewhat unconventional. She leaves behind the sometimes crazy show that is Los Angeles, and steps on to a very different stage. On this episode of Our LAPD Story, we take you behind the scenes, literally and figuratively with Jamie. You&apos;ll hear how she went from broadway stage to black and white crown vic, and how she fully embraced her career in law enforcement, all while never giving up her passion for singing. 

From Princess to Patrol

In episode three of &apos;The Reserve Journey Miniseries&apos;, we get an inside look at one of the cornerstones of the Reserve Officer Police Academy. No it&apos;s not learning to drive with the lights on...(yet)...it&apos;s first aid. Once all public safety issues are dealt with, one of the primary duties of every LAPD officer is to render aid, so a large portion of academy is fittingly dedicated to learning these potentially life-saving techniques. We also introduce you to another member of this Reserve Officer class, Joe Avalos. Joe currently serves as the Crisis Response Team Director for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, which is a full-time job in every way. However Joe, like his classmates, is answering a higher call for service, as he embarks on this shared journey of becoming an LAPD Reserve Officer. 

The Reserve Journey Miniseries: First Aid

Whether it&apos;s Detective Stabler, Benson, Columbo, or Bosch, we all have our favorite T.V. Detectives. While you may have never heard of Detective Mitzi Roberts, you have seen her work. Detective Roberts is not only a technical advisor for the Amazon series &apos;Bosch&apos;, she is the inspiration for one of the characters in the series by writer/creator Michael Connelly, and a real life LAPD Robbery-Homicide Detective. This chapter of Our LAPD Story takes you through how Detective Roberts went from managing an L.A. staple, Mel&apos;s Dinner, to investigating some of our city&apos;s most notorious and disturbing crimes. 

When Reality Becomes Television

Firearms training is one of the most important, and nerve-racking components of Los Angeles Police Department Academy process. In Episode 2 of the The Reserve Journey Miniseries, Josh (or Recruit Officer Rubenstein) give us an inside look into what firearms training within the LAPD sounds, and feels like. Along the way we get introduced to one of his classmates, a UCLA economics professor, to learn about what drove him to want to become a LAPD Reserve Officer. 

The Reserve Journey Miniseries: Firearms

Sergeant Tim Colomey is just like any other police officer, but once you get to know him you&apos;ll begin to understand how he in many ways, he embodies what it means to be a LAPD Officer. Even though he was born in Boston, he quickly discovered his heart was in Los Angeles. Sergeant Colomey will be the first to tell you he is living out his dream as a member of the Department&apos;s prestigious S.W.A.T. Team, but it&apos;s a dream that almost came to end when he was struck by car during a foot-pursuit in 1997. 

Born in Boston- A S.W.A.T. Story

New York City has 36,000 police officers. Chicago has 20,000 police officers. Los Angeles has 10,000 police officers.The LAPD Reserve Corps is a vital asset for the reduction and prevention of crime in our city. This program is the finest example of true community policing in the United States. Reserve Officers come from all walks of life, and upon successful completion of the Reserve Academy, work full assignments alongside full-time sworn officers. In this mini-series, we follow our Public Information Director Josh Rubenstein as he embarks on the road to becoming an LAPD Reserve Officer. 

The Reserve Journey Miniseries: First Day

On March 22, 2013, Officer Jaqueline Perea received news that would change the course of her life forever, that her brother had tragically been murdered. On this episode of Our LAPD Story, we&apos;ll take you on a deeper dive into how a group of dedicated Detectives brought justice to the family of a murder victim, and in the process inspired his sister to join our ranks to bring justice to those affected by violence.

Silver Lining

The LAPD is the third largest police department in the country, tasked with policing the second largest city in America, Los Angeles. With around 10,000 sworn police officers and nearly 3000 civilian employees, the LAPD is microcosm of the city it serves. Every member of our LAPD family has a voice, and every voice has a story. This is the first ever Podcast produced by the Los Angeles Police Department, and each episode aims to share some of these stories that make up the fabric of our Department. From calls for service, to moments that changed lives forever. This is Our LAPD Story.

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Our LAPD Story

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