Wearing the Badge with Garry McCarthy

Wearing the Badge with Garry McCarthy

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.

Episodes

They cleaned up a dirty 1980's NYPD

August 21, 2026 • 54 mins
Before CompStat and modern police discipline, the NYPD was a wild, tribal organization where officers carried guns in their back pockets and headquarters barely tracked crime. In this episode of Wearing the Badge, host Garry McCarthy reunites with fellow NYPD veteran and former Deputy Chief Edmund Hartnett to share unfiltered stories from the front lines of the 1980s and '90s. From policing "dog years" in the 46th Precinct in the B...
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The Gacy Cold Case: Hunt for the Missing Eight

July 10, 2026 • 53 mins
Join host Garry McCarthy as he sits down with Cook County Sheriff’s Department Commander Jason Moran to explore the chilling, patient reality of high-profile cold cases. Discover how Moran reopened the infamous John Wayne Gacy investigation to bring long-awaited answers to families stuck in a cruel limbo, moving beyond the media headlines to uncover the true nature of modern forensic detective work. The dialogue moves deeply...
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How street gangs make their own automatic weapons

June 13, 2026 • 51 mins
What happens when politicians hold public safety hostage, and how are federal agents bypassing the red tape to take back the streets? In this raw, unfiltered episode of Wearing the Badge, former CPD Superintendent Garry McCarthy and Christopher Amon, Special Agent in Charge of Chicago's Field Division, blow the lid off the politics of policing and look at what it actually takes to dismantle a city's violent infrastructure. Take an...
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Heart disease - the true cop killer | Wearing the Badge

May 1, 2026 • 53 mins
"The number one killer of cops is heart attack." In this powerful episode of "Wearing the Badge," host Garry McCarthy welcomes Dr. John Sheinberg, a man who navigates the worlds of both high-stakes medicine and law enforcement. With a career spanning three decades as a sworn officer and a parallel journey as a board-certified cardiologist, Dr. Sheinberg brings a unique perspective to the "perfect storm" of stress, physiology, and c...
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When 'tough it out' fails cops | Wearing the Badge

April 11, 2026 • 58 mins
Police work puts officers in the middle of mental illness, homelessness, addiction, and trauma, often with little training and a lot of stigma. In this episode of Wearing the Badge, Garry McCarthy sits down with Ernie Stevens, a retired San Antonio police officer and crisis-intervention trainer, to talk about what works when someone is in crisis, and why officer wellness cannot be an afterthought. 00:00 Cold open 01:40 Who is E...
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This PD uses high-tech to bust lowlifes | Wearing the Badge

April 10, 2026 • 54 mins
Oak Brook Police Chief Brian Strockis and Garry McCarthy dig into proactive policing, political pushback on tools like ShotSpotter and LPRs, and the real-world tactics Oak Brook says are working — from disciplined pursuit policies to drones and “tag-and-track” technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Can Chicago be saved? | Wearing the Badge S2E4

February 21, 2026 • 62 mins
A special Town Hall edition of Wearing the Badge from Chicago. Former CPD Superintendent Garry McCarthy sits down with Fox News Channel's Gianno Caldwell for a wide-ranging conversation about crime, fear, disorder, policing strategy, and community intervention. CHAPTER MARKERS 0:00 Cold Open: What’s the solution? 1:27 What Wearing the Badge is about 2:48 McCarthy and Caldwell on urgency and unity 6:04 Town Hall Begins:...
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He took a bullet to save the president | Wearing the Badge S2 E3

January 17, 2026 • 59 mins
Former Secret Service Agent Tim McCarthy (no relation to host Garry McCarthy) joins Wearing the Badge with a story that puts him in an exceptionally small club: he took a bullet protecting President Ronald Reagan during the 1981 assassination attempt. Tim breaks down what happened in those seconds outside the Washington Hilton—how training takes over, how the team moved the president, and what stays with you for life. Then...
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Poisoned, not “overdosed”: Inside America’s fentanyl war

November 7, 2025 • 55 mins
Former NYPD/CPD leader Garry McCarthy sits down with retired CPD gang investigator Terry Almanza and former DEA Special Operations chief Derek Maltz for a blunt conversation about America’s synthetic-drug crisis. They compare “overdoses” versus poisonings, unpack cartel–China pipelines, debate border and national-security gaps, and talk plainly about loss: both Garry and Terry lost daughters. Almanza explain...
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Catching school shooters before they act | Wearing the Badge S2E1

October 26, 2025 • 56 mins
Former Naperville detective turned national trainer Rich Wistocki explains how “leakage” on social media lets schools and police spot would-be shooters before they act. In a wide-open conversation, he walks through the three-phase playbook that’s stopped dozens of plots and how simple evidence steps turn red flags into real cases. 00:00 — Introduction 01:22 — Who is Rich Wistocki? 02:40 — Imme...
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'Right Place, Right Time': Danny O’Toole’s Wild Career and the Kid He Saved

October 3, 2025 • 52 mins
Chicago Police Sergeant (ret.) Danny O’Toole sits down with Garry McCarthy to unpack a career that reads like a novel: shot during a narcotics warrant, stabbed twice, nearly blown out by friendly fire—and the day he shot a charging pit bull off a 13-year-old boy. The two dive into what actually keeps cops and communities safe: smart tactics, relentless training, good data, and clear-eyed leadership. From Harlem shoo...
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How the Chicago police consent decree reshaped the department | Wearing the Badge EP 13

September 20, 2025 • 53 mins
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 “C...
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Inside the Boston Marathon Bombing: Ed Davis Remembers

August 29, 2025 • 62 mins
In this powerful episode of "Wearing the Badge," Garry McCarthy sits down with longtime friend and former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis to revisit the darkest days of his career — the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Davis recounts his path from patrolman in Lowell to leading the city of Boston, the chaos of that Patriots’ Day, and the manhunt that followed. The two veteran chiefs reflect on leadership, the human ...
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SAFE-T Act: Prosecutor says defendant rights are trumping victim rights (Pt 3)

August 11, 2025 • 53 mins
In the final chapter of our three-part SAFE-T Act special, host Garry McCarthy sits down with Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow to examine the controversial law from the prosecutor’s chair. Glasgow details how new restrictions “handcuff” those seeking justice, why enforcing warrants is critical to curbing crime, and how a new bill in Springfield could make most routine traffic stops—like expir...
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Safe-T Act debate intensifies: Lawmakers from both sides share views (Pt 2)

July 31, 2025 • 56 mins
In the second episode of our three‑part SAFE‑T Act series, Illinois House Speaker Pro Tempore Representative Kam Buckner and State Senator John Curran join the conversation—bringing perspectives from both sides of the General Assembly. They discuss how the bill was crafted without meaningful input from local law enforcement, the shift from reactive to proactive policing by blending data-driven models with broken‑windows theor...
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SAFE-T Act under fire: Police argue it benefits criminals, hurts officers (Pt. 1)

July 18, 2025 • 51 mins
In this first episode of a three-part series on Illinois' controversial SAFE-T Act, former Chicago Police Commissioner Garry McCarthy sits down with suburban police chiefs Marc Maton (Lemont, IL) and Tom Herion (Village of Lyons) to dig into what law enforcement veterans really think about the law. They open up about being completely shut out of the negotiation process, how the reforms are impacting both police and judicial decisi...
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Race & Police Reform: Pastor Corey Brooks, Ex-Chicago top cop confront realities

July 11, 2025 • 52 mins
Pastor Corey Brooks, who spent a year living on a rooftop to draw attention to Chicago’s crisis of crime and poverty, joins Garry McCarthy for an honest conversation about the most sensitive topic in police reform: race. Together, they explore how to build trust in high-crime neighborhoods, confront the realities of violence within Black communities, and develop smarter, safer strategies for policing Chicago’s streets. ...
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Cops talk working during NYC’s 1980s crime epidemic

June 6, 2025 • 51 mins
On this episode of "Wearing the Badge," host Gary McCarthy, former Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, interviews St. Louis Police Commissioner Chief Robert J. Tracy. Both having served with the New York Police Department, they discuss their experiences during NYC's 1980s crime epidemic. The conversation also covers career growth and the challenges of moving up the ranks in law enforcement. Tracy shares personal storie...
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9/11 through the eyes of the NYPD

May 2, 2025 • 52 mins
In this episode of "Behind the Badge," host and former NYPD Deputy Commissioner Garry McCarthy, along with his former colleague Stephen McAllister, offer a personal glimpse into the traumatic experiences of police officers responding to the events of September 11th, 2001. From the fear and uncertainty as the towers fell to the intense stress that followed in the days after, McCarthy and McAllister open up about the bravery and resi...
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How NYPD football team creates brotherhood. Plus, other cop stories

May 1, 2025 • 52 mins
On this episode of “Behind the Badge,” we look at how the NYPD Finest football team has fostered lifelong relationships among officers. Host Garry McCarthy sits down with former teammate Steve McAllister, now police commissioner in Floral Park, as they share stories from their time on the team. From funny nicknames like "Veal" to the team's experiences with tragedy, they discuss the intense highs and lows that...
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