Behind the Badge with Garry McCarthy
Behind the Badge with Garry McCarthy
Podcast Description
In "Behind the Badge," former Chicago top cop Garry McCarthy offers a rare look into the inner workings of one of America’s most-scrutinized police forces. Beyond breaking down the latest crime trends and the policies that shape strategies, McCarthy and seasoned law enforcement officials share what it really means to wear the badge—revealing both the challenges and rewards of serving on the front lines.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on law enforcement experiences, crime trends, and the emotional impact of policing, with episodes covering topics like the camaraderie among officers in the NYPD football team and the personal stories of families coping with police-related trauma, exemplified by the episode featuring the memories of Officer Ella French.
In “Wearing the Badge,” former Chicago top cop Garry McCarthy offers a rare look into the inner workings of one of America’s most-scrutinized police forces. Beyond breaking down the latest crime trends and the policies that shape strategies, McCarthy and seasoned law enforcement officials share what it really means to wear the badge—revealing both the challenges and rewards of serving on the front lines.
Former Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy sits down with former prosecutor and Illinois GOP chairman Pat Brady to unpack the Laquan McDonald shooting, the DOJ’s 2017 findings, and the court-ordered consent decree that reshaped CPD. From how the video was sealed and later released to who actually investigates police shootings, the conversation digs into process, policy, and politics.
McCarthy lays out the “Chicago Plan,” CompStat, and procedural-justice training; Brady brings a prosecutor’s lens on investigations, money-laundering task forces, and federal oversight. Together they weigh reform, results, morale, and the costs of getting it wrong.
00:00 — Introduction
01:00 — Who is Pat Brady?
02:00 — Brady’s Law-Enforcement Resume
03:00 — Task Forces & “Follow the Money”
04:30 — Laquan: The Night, The Video, The Shock
06:45 — Sealing the Video & City Hall Timeline
08:10 — Who Investigates Police Uses of Force
10:10 — Release, Protests, “Cover-Up” Narratives
12:20 — Firing vs. Resignation
14:50 — Metrics Under McCarthy
17:10 — DOJ Investigation Critique
20:40 — Pattern/Practice, Reasonable Suspicion & Standards
23:40 — From Task Forces to Beat Accountability
28:30 — Procedural Justice & The Chicago Plan
30:40 — CompStat & Accountability
33:00 — Consequences & Morale
36:30 — Consent Decree Dollars & Monitors
39:30 — Accreditation & Reform Stacks
43:30 — Violence Reduction Network & Community Work
47:20 — Stop and Frisk
50:00 — Leadership, Assignments & Community Reaction
52:30 — Final Reflections
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