ATO: BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

Episode 65 Dallas Police Department SWAT Sergeant Andre Taylor #7752

 “Trust God, Clean House, Serve Others”

 The Assist the Officer Foundation sits down with an incredibly accomplished and unique individual today in Sgt. Andre Taylor of Dallas SWAT.

As Dre grew up in the South side of Chicago, he regularly witnessed acts of violence but also witnessed an incredible community and family as his mother was ever present in his upbringing ensuring he didn’t fall prey to the many negative lifestyles of the streets that could lead to him in jail or dead.

Life laid itself out for Andre as he found himself moving to Dallas Texas to join the Police force in 1999 and began serving the City of Dallas. He joined the Dallas SWAT team in 2003 and trained under some of the toughest SWAT trainers who exposed him to a new level of police work . Andre experienced several critical incidents during his time in SWAT and one that sticks out more than others is an incident that’s familiar to this show. The hostage rescue on Martel still haunts everyone that was a part of that operation.

After leaving SWAT he joined the Dallas Mounted Unit and learned the tools to have a partner, Tommy, that weighed over 1500 lbs. and quickly understood the power and beauty of horses and saw the importance of community policing.

Andre Taylor returned to Dallas SWAT years later and found himself in a new role as the leader and not the operator, so he had to learn to develop tools for his new role as being a boss to high performing and highly trained operators.

Dre has always been in control of his life and his own destiny however in January of 2023 he looked into the mirror and did not like what he saw and realized he could not control an aspect of his life. As he contemplated his new direction, he typed out on email that would change his life, both personally and professionally, forever as he knew once he hit the send button everything would change.

Once he hit send and the first step in climbing a new mountain was taken and now Dre found himself in a completely new world as he had to ask for help to regain control of his life.

The listener will have to finish this story and hear Andre’s new challenge in life and career as he found a new purpose and “why”.  We are hoping Dre finds that needed time now to work on his old cars and roller skate.

ATO Family you are never alone in this life…….Please always reach out.

Critical incident:

Infant hostage on 5800 Martel, Dallas, Texas on 6/20/2007

Acronyms/Phrases:

APC- Armored personnel carrier

#SWAT

#Chicago

12 Step AA Programs: 12 Steps to Recovery for Addiction (americanaddictioncenters.org)

The ATO is proud to welcome 911 Calltaker/Police/Fire/Teletype Dispatch Supervisor Gillian Ethridge to the stage to shed some light on one of the most crucial components to the first responder world: communications.

Gillian was born in Dallas in 1988 and she and her family moved to Fairfax, Virginia where she had dreams of becoming a firefighter as a teen and some of the best times of her life was when she was an explorer for the fire department.

Her dream was to be in the fire department but life, as it often does, takes you down several turns that you do not wish to take.  So, she started as a 911 call taker and fell in love with the faster pace and found her niche in problem solving and critical thinking behind the headset.

She applied for Dallas PD Communications as a police dispatcher in 2015 and thrived in the fast-paced city of Dallas, Texas.  But once again life took a different turn and Gillian and her new girlfriend decided to move back to Fairfax as both dove back into communications, and also dove into love as they married in 2017.

Gillian promoted to supervisor in 2020 and subsequently won an award for Excellence in Supervision for her agency her first year in.

Her story isn’t just about call taking and dispatching, the necessity for always being the quarterback for her officers when a “tone” comes out, an inaudible shriek calling for help, or being the one that calms the airwaves as chaos erupts. This story is also about resiliency….extreme mental and physical resiliency in professional and personal life.

She is dedicated to her profession, to her wife Jam, to her twin sister Dallas Detective Kristen Greene, and to the many first responders she assisted over her life.

Gillian Ethridge is truly the Heart Under the Headset.

What is MS? | National Multiple Sclerosis Society (nationalmssociety.org)

Episode 63 Dallas Police Joey Arvizu #10624

Today’s story time features a true warrior and an incredibly kind human being that also happens to be a Dallas Police Officer.

Jose Julian Arvizu hired on with the Dallas Police Department in 2013 and spent most of his time at the Southeast Division (God’s Country) and quickly gained a reputation as being a by the book officer and natural born leader.

This episode tells the story of a Marine, a Police Officer, and a dedicated husband whose life changed on April 18th 2018 as he found himself within a whisper of death.

While training for a charity boxing match, known as Guns and Hoses, Joey began sparring and woke up in Baylor Hospital trying to figure out what happened to him.

His wife, Cathy, stood by his side through all of the fears and all of the unknowns as he fought for his life.

Cathy had always heard of the “Blue Family” but she witnessed, first hand, just how strong that thin blue line is when one of its family is in need of help.

ATO family welcome on the Arvizu family.

Critical Incident discussed:

On April 18th, 2018 Joey Arvizu suffered a brain bleed while prepping for a charity boxing match.

Guns and Hoses event is an annual event that features local police and fire in boxing matches.

Episode 62 Ret. Dallas Officer Gretchen Rocha 

" Live Simple, Live Brave, and Live Kindly"

 Welcome back ATO Family today’s episode has a lot of moving parts and includes a lot of heartache, inspiration, healing and the survival.

Gretchen Rocha tells her unique story of growing up in Wisconsin as she was raised in the fundamental independent Baptist culture and learned resiliency at an early age. She chose to take a different path in her life as she experienced early trauma in family and in her religious upbringing that continues to stay with her.

 She hired on with the Dallas Police Department in 2016 and just three weeks into training the unthinkable happened as the City of Dallas was rocked by the most loss of police lives since the 9-11 attacks in NYC.  Gretchen found herself in the line of fire as she could hear the bullets whizzing by her ear and passing through her hair she had to take cover behind a car that was absorbing rounds from the sniper. After being struck, in two different places, she had to drive another downed officer to the hospital and seek medical attention herself.  July 7th 2016 saw five officers murdered and several others wounded, including this guest.

Sit back and listen to the story of an interesting woman, officer, mother, wife and bad ass entrepreneur.

The ATO stage is given to  the domestic Goddess Gretchen Rocha.

Follow her on Facebook at Dolce Beauty Bar 

Critical Incidents discussed:

July 7th 2016 in downtown Dallas at Lamar and Main St. that resulted in 5 Officers murdered and several others wounded.

November 16th 2018, Arts Apartments on Ross Ave. Off Duty Incident that Gretchen encountered burglary suspects in her apartment parking garage.

Welcome back ATO family as we bring you the ninth Message from the Host.

This will be our Kevin James Clayshoot Edition as we sit down with one of the organizers of this great event in Dallas SWAT Lt. Kevin Campbell.

Lt. Campbell currently commands the SWAT Unit and has been instrumental in planning and organizing the annual KJ Clay Shoot that benefits the Assist the Officer Foundation.

To register for this event go to WWW.KEVINJAMESCLAYSHOOT.COM if you want to sponsor a team or come out and shoot.

The Event will be April 7th at Elm Fork Shooting Range in Dallas. Registration begins at 8am and with a 9am shoot start.

Breakfast and lunch will be served and several kick ass items will be up for raffle.

We also always need volunteers to help run these events so please reach out [email protected] OF YOU WANT TO COME SUPPORT US.

We are also raffling off a unique Peacock Bass fishing trip in the amazon that is all inclusive. The trip will be onboard Rio Negro Queen for two spots.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PRESENT AT THE CLAYSHOOT TO WIN THIS FISHING TRIP.

Value of the trip is around 10K.

Big thank you to Wade Dews and Tyler Remediz at Frontline Real Estate Team for starting the Heroes Serving Heroes Program and will donate percentage of commissions to the ATO.

As always thank you for supporting us and be safe, keep listening and lets take care of each other.

Joe

Episode 61 Dallas SWAT Matthew Smith #7765

“Don’t get left in Virginia”

ATO friends, you are in for a treat.  We sat down with the not so ordinary man with an ordinary name.  Senior Corporal Matt Smith talks about how his East Texas upbringing helped forge the discipline that has defined him throughout his police career. 

Matt joined the Dallas Police Department in 1999.  He was assigned to the Northeast Patrol division after completing the Police Academy.  In 2005 he competed in a tryout for the Dallas SWAT Team and has not looked back.

Senior Corporal Smith was originally assigned to a sniper role but since that time, he has been trained in almost every discipline the SWAT team offers. Matt attacked each role with a determination that is difficult to match.  He has been an Assistant Squad Leader in the prestigious Dallas SWAT Team for 8 years and running. In that role he demands a lot from the officers in the unit and more of himself.  For almost 18 years he has crafted different ways to be even more prepared for any incident. 

Whether it is a hostage rescue, barricaded person, natural disaster, or a presidential dignitary protection assignment, you can count on Matt Smith to be ready in a pressed uniform with his equipment prepared and his ride clean.

Join us as we discuss preparation, operations, mindset, and training with a true professional.

Critical incidents:

Oak Park search warrant/shooting multiple officers hit by gunfire

July 7th 2016

October 2007 search warrant in which Lieutenant Carlton Marshall was shot

 #SWATTRAINING

 #TTPOA

 #SWAT

#firstresponders

#mentalhealth

#policestories

#firefighters

#firstresponderpodcast

#wellness

#police

#policepodcasts

#coplife

#policecriticalincidents

#truecrime

#policedetectives

#SWAT

#DallasSWAT

#truecrimejunkie

#truecrimeobsessed

#crime

#murder

#truecrimefan

#truepolicestories

#podcasts

Bob’s World Segment  This is special bonus episode so our ATO family can hear the Great Bob Sturm on his show, The Hardline, discussing his experience on the ATO: Bridging the Divide Podcast. The radio station, The Ticket, is iconic in the sports talk world and has won the top award for radio station of the year four times. Bob is a good friend and longtime first responder supporter as he comes from a long line of police family members.

In his episode we discuss some police ride alongs he did with us back in 1999 and 2007 and we may have been too candid with these stories but hey everything turned out great.

They aired this segment right after we released Bob’s episode and, being a longtime Ticket fan, it was entertaining to hear.

I want The Ticket and Bob to know how grateful we are to have joined us for an episode and go even further to give us some additional love with an entire segment.

You are about to hear a segment of Bob’s World from The Ticket.

Thank You Bob and Thank You Hardline for the support.

ATO friends……Enjoy this bonus clip and have an amazing and safe weekend.

Joe

Episode 60

Dallas Police Department’s Bryan Candelaria #9294 and Gabriel Candelaria #9326

The Dallas Island Boys

The Assist the Officer Foundation welcomes on the Dallas Police Department’s identical twin brothers in Bryan and Gabriel Candelaria.

Hailing from the 305, Miami Florida, they do embody the flavor of South Florida as they grew up in the fast- paced post cocaine cowboy era of Miami.

They both gravitated to law enforcement as they grew up in a first responder family under the tutelage of the great Miami-Dade PD Legend Omar Carrillo.  (The ATO family will hear Omar’s story on a later episode)

In the true spirit of Greek mythology twin archers, Apollo and Artemis, they are identical yet very different in their approach to life and career.

They moved to North Texas to begin their law enforcement career and joined the Dallas Police Department and started the academy in the same academy class.

They hit the streets in different part of Dallas as Gabe went North and Bryan went South and both then truly began forming their own style of police work. Bryan chose “Chasing Dope” and Gabe gravitated to Intelligence led policing and finding his niche in undercover deployment.

Like Artemis and Apollo both had a passion for the “hunt” of policing as they quickly became effective in just taking bad guys off the street to make the neighborhoods safer.

After leaving the Southeast Division CRT Bryan joined the prestigious Dallas SWAT to fulfill a life-long dream, following in Omar’s footsteps and Gabe joined a team on the ground floor that would revolutionize the Dallas PD in ushering in the video age in the body worn camera program.

This story is about two brothers, different in many ways, but equally genuine as human beings that pursued a calling and both succeeding in every stop they’ve had with Dallas PD.  

Both are finally in leadership roles to be mentors and role models to help mold the future of the Dallas Police Department as Gabriel serves as the Lieutenant for the Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia and Bryan a Sergeant for the Violent Crime Task Force.

Sit back and enjoy laughter, inspiration, heartbreak and growth as we introduce the Candy Twins to the ATO stage.

Critical Incidents:

Officer involved shooting in the Dixon Circle Community 7/24/2012

Hostage rescue with children on 2/9/2020 at 6000 Abrams

Hostage Rescue Homicide/Suicide on 511 Highcrest 5/18/2020

George Floyd riots in downtown Dallas in 2020

Instagram: ato_bridging_divide

ATODALLAS.org

Contact us at [email protected]

#firstresponders

#mentalhealth

#policestories

#firefighters

#firstresponderpodcast

#dallaspolice

#police

#dallaspolice

#SWAT

#305tillidie

#miami

Episode 59

Dallas Police Department Major Mark Harris #7877

”The craziest rage I’ve ever felt in my life”

Today the ATO crew is sitting with a genuine individual and true professional to discuss the “Charlie Brown Effect”.

Dallas Major Mark Harris grew up in St Louis and found the love of his life Yvonne before joining the United States Marine Corp as he started his life of service.  From 1986-1989 he began his life in law enforcement as an MP for the USMC before he traveled to South Texas to work for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office until 2000. 

In 2000 he joined the Dallas Police Department and has risen through the ranks up to Police Major and now commands the North Central Patrol Division. 

Mark has had several events in his life and career that have defined him and also strengthen him as he endured the “Charlie Brown Effect”. 

Every year at Thanksgiving Charlie would trust Lucy to hold the ball while he kicks it, and every year she would yank the ball away and Charlie would fall flat on his back. Yet Charlie still tries, every year, to kick that ball that Lucy holds. 

Life can be that way for all of us…..Falling flat on our backs. However getting back up and being persistent is what can define a person and establish growth.  Throughout his career Mark never stopped trying to kick that ball and he is now a Major in one of the largest Police Departments in the country. 

Even as a Commander he never lost his genuine kindness he has possessed his entire life as he always treats his troops with fairness, compassion, and support. 

You can travel the halls of Dallas PD headquarters and you will be hard pressed to find anyone to say something negative towards Major Mark Harris.

Special guest cohost Narcotics Detective Todd “T-Bone” Conway joins us as he is a longtime friend of Major Harris as well having a unique perspective as he was present when Mark was shot while running a Narcotics search warrant in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas.

Critical Incident:

On 9/28/2006 at 9711 Pinehurst, Dallas Texas, Dallas Police Narcotics Division were involved in a shooting while they executed a search warrant. During this officer involved shooting Major Harris was hit with gunfire as his teammates returned fire at the barricaded suspect.  #policenarcotics #criticalincident #fallenheroes #police #narcotics #narcos #policeresponse

Episode 58

Dallas Police Homicide Unit Detective Andrea Isom # 9272

The Dallas Police Department’s Homicide Unit is incredibly rich in history.

The Homicide and Robbery Unit, under Captain J.W. Fritz, was considered the elite unit of the Dallas Police Department as it investigated high profile crimes like the Texas Eyeball Killer, the pastor Walker Railey, and the murder of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

Capt. Fritz created traditions and a standard in excellency that lives on today as they investigate the most egregious of crimes……taking another humans life.

Penal Code Chapter 19:

A person commits criminal homicide if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence causes the death of an individual.

Today’s guest continues the great tradition of putting together puzzle pieces and solving crimes that a victim does not get a chance to tell their side of the story.  She does this with her meticulous style and grace that has formed her reputation as being one of the best Detectives that works for the City of Dallas.

Hailing from the great city of Kansas City Missouri Andrea Isom hired on with Dallas PD in 2007 and began working the streets in North East Patrol Division as a rookie street cop.

After working as an Assaults Detective she fulfilled her dream of becoming a Homicide Detective. She hit the ground running as the City of Dallas has no shortage of violent crimes as she cut her teeth on training as she assisted on the high-profile Zoe Hastings and the murder of a local dentist.

This episode Andrea details cases she worked on as well as the victimology aspect of putting together pieces of the puzzle to bring these suspects to justice to give the families and friends some form of peace.

Detective Isom recently was awarded the Dallas Police Association Cop’s Cop Runner-Up Award for the 2022 Officer of the Year. This award is voted on and given by her peers on the Dallas Police Department.

She also is co-founder of the TAB7 non-profit organization that was designed to raise funds for the Homicide Unit for equipment and training that can be used for solving crimes.

ATO family sit back and soak in the story of a true professional that sees and investigates some of this City’s most horrific scenes and still makes time to bake her coworkers homemade cookies. #firstresponders #homicidedetective #trauma #criticalincidentresponse #homicide