l Am Pitts Podcast

The OT Greed Trap

When I was a rookie police officer on LMPD, overtime (OT) was a forbidden word. Now, in 2024, with police staffing levels at an all time low across the country, officers all over America have the ability to set themselves up for future financial success with unlimited OT and high paying off duty jobs. With that in mind, remember this one thing: Don't get greedy and steal money or time from the government like NYPD Lt. Quathisha Epps who is being accused / investigated for earning an additional $204,000 in OT. And on a final note, if you want to ensure you have a great police career and make it to retirement, be weary of these four things: Money, Lying, Sex and Alcohol. You can enjoy these things in the right environment at the proper time, but I've seen many careers crash and burn behind all four.

The Little Boy Wo Cried Hitler And Racism

Americans voted and unamously agreed that it was time for Donald Trump to be the leader in America once again! Those who oppose Donald Trump being president are now questioning, "How did this happen?" You can only compare someone to Hitler so many times that people realize how farfetched that is. You can only label a group of people as Nazis and racists so many times until people start to see how outlandish that is. The American people are tired of being lied to and having their emotions played with and spoke in a unified voice, screaming "No more!" Everyone is tired of identity politics and the division it causes. Yet there are still people in positions of power (Jefferson County Public School System Chief Equity Officer) that want black people to believe that white people want to do them physical harm. Are there racist people? Of course there are. How do I know this? Because I had to deal with a racist the other night on my shift, and boy do I have a story to tell you all about it! Lastly, an LMPD officer who was shot in the line of duty during 2020 is suing LMPD for claims of racism, discrimination, and lies about the Breonna Taylor Case. 

 

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Just Accept The Thank You And Free Meal

Happy Veteran’s Day! In this on the fly, last minute, shoot from the hip, unscripted episode recorded from my police car, I address all the veterans who feel undeserving of a free meal or service on Veteran’s Day. Some of us in the veteran community have lost sight of how Vietnam Veterans were treated upon returning home from the battlefield. It’s time for us to put aside our pride, ego, and negative view of Veteran’s Day and just accept the thank you and gratitude people want to show us.

Nobody's Perfect

As a cop and podcaster who often comments on officer's worse days on the job and their mistakes (intentional or not), it might be easy to assume that I think I am better than others and have an arrogance that makes it seem like I am perfect and make no mistakes. Well, that can't be any further from the truth. In my 15 years as a police officer I have made a lot of mistakes and bad decisions. In this episode, I go our my entire disciplinary history to show people that I am not perfect. I want to show people that there is a difference between an honest mistakes and going out of your way to do the wrong thing with evil intentions. Nobody's perfect. We all make mistakes. Lastly, I talk about how false allegations can ruin someone's life, career, and how you have to safeguard against those false accusations. 

Police And The Fight Against Bad PR - The Tyreek Hill Incident

Policing in 2024 is no longer about the facts of an incident or a case. What matters in 2024 are the optics of an incident. The recent encounter between NFL superstar Tyreek Hill and the Miami-Dade Police proves that. In this brief episode, I give my take on the incident and talk about the current state of policing in 2024 where the public nor the media cares about officer safety, but the how the officers actions are perceived by the public. It's not about what it is, it's about what it looks like, and police departments continue to lose the PR battle because they have not figured that out.  

The Face of 22 A Day

Everyone is familiar with the 22 A Day slogan that represents the 22 veteran's a day that end up taking their own lives.  We all know the saying and we all know the 22 A Day push up challenge, but do you know the faces of the 22? Unfortunately for myself and many other veterans around the country, we know the faces of the 22 all too well because they are our brothers and sisters. On August 20, 2024, myself and my Alpha Company brothers from the 2nd Battalion 14th Infantry Regiment lost a brother who become one of the 22 A Day. This past weekend, seven of us gather to say goodbye to our brother Leland Shanle III. In this episode, I talk about the time I spent with Leland in the army, his love for his brothers, and the small things we can do to help our brothers and sister from becoming part of the 22 A Day. 

Why Lie? Veterans Stealing Honor and Valor

Being in the military is honorable, period. Combat veteran or peace time, service is service. Behind a desk pushing papers or in a foxhole with bullets zipping past you, we are thankful for your service. How and where you serve doesn't matter. But what does matter to me and many others is when veterans lie about their service (Tim Walz). Lastly, is anyone else burned out on special operation stories and influencers? It’s almost like they fought the entire War On Terror on their own. 

The Cult of Politics, Race And Victimhood

After an extended period of time, I Am. Pitts is back! In this audio only episode, I talk about cults. When I say cults, I am talking about the Anti-Trump Cult and the MAGA Cult. Over the last few weeks, I seemed to have angered both. The cult of blackness (being black) still believes that Donald Trump has the power and ability to take away black people's rights and put them back in slavery. America has fallen away from being a country built on personal responsibility and has embraced the cult of victimhood. Everyone is a victim. How do we counter this cult that as taken America by storm. Lastly, I have to come clean and talk about my time and experience in a sex cult. 

Rights, Responsibilities & Unintended Consequences

Social media has been buzzing over the last few days about the tragic and unfortunate incident where an Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputy shot and killed Senior Airmen Roger Fortson in his home while he was legally armed. Emotions are running high, people are rightfully upset and concerned by the officer's body camera video. While at the same time, the Fortson's family attorney Ben Crump, is working overtime spreading lies and misinformation about the incident.

In America we are blessed to have the United States Constitution that protects citizen's rights against unlawful seizure at the hands of the government. We often talk about our rights, but we often forgo the important conversation of the responsibilities that come with our rights and how we use them. Legal does not always mean practical when it comes to our rights, and sometimes we push the limits of our rights beyond common sense and suffer unintended consequences. In this episode, I give my take on all of this in reference to this horrible incident.

 

The Police Chaplain - Jared Altic

One of the most underrated, underused, and misunderstood positions within law enforcement is that of the police Chaplain. Chaplain's have been around since the 4th century. From accompanying soldiers on the battlefield to riding shotgun with police officers on patrol, the chaplain has always been there. Despite their presence, many still do not understand the purpose of the chaplain or how they can be used to aid police departments, officers and their communities to achieve positive results. In this episode I am joined by Chaplain Jared Altic who has over 30 years of experience in ministry and six years as a chaplain with the Kansas City Kansas Police Department. We chat about his calling into the ministry, how he serves his officers and the unique challenge of getting officers to open up to him about their struggles. Chaplain Altic is also the host of the "Hey Chaplain" podcast where he chat's with first responders, military, and those in supporting roles, across the world about wellness and sharing their wisdom and experience with the Chaplain.