Ep. 68 Talking Prison and Street Gangs with returning guest and gang culture expert retired Lt. Brian “BC” Sanders. In his 20+ years with a large agency in the southeastern U.S., Brian served on various proactive units including Gang Suppression, homicide, drug unit, aggravated assault and more. He is known for developing sources, actionable gang intelligence, motivating others to learn and work gangs and pushing disruption initiatives to reduce violence.

In this episode, we explore the origins, evolution, and power dynamics of prison gangs – why they form, how they recruit, what their initiations or jump-ins look like, how they tend to self-segregate along racial lines. We compare them to how street gangs operate within the prison including how and why street gang members can still call the shots on the street even while behind bars. And we look at how prison and street gangs coexist.

We delve into the well-known case of Sex Money Murder (SMM) leader “Pistol Pete” Rollack, one of the most notorious gang leaders who famously ordered the murder of two fellow gang members while he was serving a life sentence, a crime that sent him to solitary confinement.

If you haven’t already, check out my first conversation with Brian in Ep. 44 in which we talked about types of street gangs, how they recruit, the people who join them and how gangs have evolved over time. We discuss their hand signs, graffiti and bandanas known as flags, and initiations called jump-ins.

Brian teaches virtual and in-person classes on gang culture for law enforcement and citizens and how if you know what to look for and what steps to take, you can disrupt the spread and violence of gangs. You can find out more on his website (link below). Also check out Brian’s podcasts “The Disruptors with Brian Sanders” and “Nightshift,” the true crime podcast he co-hosts with the lovely Andrea Up Late on YouTube and all podcast platforms.

His website has links to the podcasts, his social media handles and info on his classes. You can contact him directly through the site.

https://thedisruptorswithbriansanders.com/

The Disruptors on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/5QiNmgm8Z5MgQDAzHa6FeI?si=765b5cb1b9674adf&nd=1&dlsi=33e625c9e3984a0f

The Disruptors on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/the_disruptors_podcast/#

Night Shift Andrea Up Late YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@andrea_up_late

Brian’s email:

Thedisruptors.bc.ski@gmail.com

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©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and...

Ep. 67 – In Part Two of my interview with NYPD Det. Tom Smith (Ret.) we discuss 9/11 and how the day unfolded for him; what it was like working rescue and recovery at Ground Zero and later at the landfill to identify belongings and remains and the unique emotional toll of trying to identify those we lost.

After 9/11, Tom was assigned to the elite FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) for which he held a Top Secret/SCI clearance. As he says in the interview, “The responsibility was enormous…You have to prevent 9/11 from ever happening again. You are now responsible not only for New York, but the world.”

While with JTTF, Tom was deployed in 2009 to the war zone in Afghanistan to coordinate the rescue of a New York Times journalist who had been kidnapped by an Al-Qaeda affiliated group. Tom and the JTTF team were able to create and execute a plan to bring this American hostage home.

Then in 2018, Tom’s JTTF partner alerted him to a school shooter threat at the high school in upstate NY where Tom was living and working. The high school was the very one his son and daughter were attending. Tom and his partner investigated and built a case that led to the arrest of the would-be shooter finding, among other evidence, the list of students he planned to kill on the last day of school, all of whom were friends of Tom’s kids.

We close by reflecting on his 30-year career, the inspiration he drew from his NYPD Detective father, the support of his wife and family. And just how much a thank you means.

We of course talk about their true crime podcast the Gold Shields Show which Tom co-hosts with his good buddy retired NYPD Sgt. Dan Murphy. They reached their 100th episode in 2024 and launched Season Three in January 2025 with some incredible guests. You can find them on all podcast platforms. Links below.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part One of my conversation with Tom. We cover the early days of his career with NYPD starting in 1990 on patrol in Harlem. Within a few years he joined the anti-crime team and later Narcotics where he became a detective. He then moved into Gang Investigations in 1998 and then the Robbery Unit in the Bronx in 1999.

I want to add that Tom was recently inducted into the National Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame and presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Quite an honor – a deserved one. Congratulations, Tom.

Website

www.thegoldshieldshow.com

Instagram:

@thegoldshieldsshow

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Tom also is involved with:

Impact Solutions

Wheelchairs For Warriors

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Ep. 66 - Rescuing an American journalist kidnapped in Afghanistan, thwarting a school shooter, responding to Ground Zero on 9/11 - NYPD Det. Tom Smith (Ret.) did all of it in his 30 years with NYPD. Following in his NYPD Detective father’s footsteps, Tom joined NYPD in 1990 and started in patrol in Harlem. Within a few years he joined the anti-crime team and later Narcotics where he became a detective. He then moved into Gang Investigations in 1998 and then the Robbery unit in the Bronx in 1999.

It was during his time there that 9/11 happened. We will talk about how the day, weeks and months unfolded for him. After 9/11, Tom was assigned to the elite FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) for the remaining 17 years of his career. He held a Top Secret/SCI clearance, conducted briefings for representatives of the highest levels of government and traveled to 18 countries to handle complex terrorism investigations. In 2009, Tom was deployed to the war zone in Afghanistan to coordinate the rescue of a New York Times journalist who had been kidnapped by an Al-Qaeda affiliated group. Tom and the JTTF team were able to create and execute a plan to bring this American hostage home.

We also cover the recent shooting death in December 2024 of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan. In his time as detective with NYPD, Tom investigated homicides. I wanted to get his take on how this played out from an investigation point of view.

Tom is co-host of the podcast Gold Shields with his buddy retired NYPD Sgt. Dan Murphy. They draw on their considerable law enforcement experience and knowledge to bring listeners the inside story on large scale often well-known investigations and missions by detectives and military operators, as well as criminal behavior, personal stories of survival and more. They reached their 100th episode in 2024 and are launching Season Three in January 2025. Here's where you can find them:

Website www.thegoldshieldshow.com

Instagram: @thegoldshieldsshow

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Tom also is involved with:

Impact Solutions

Wheelchairs For Warriors

Thanks for listening to On Being a Police Officer. YOU are what keeps me going.

Find me on my social or email me your thoughts:

Instagram: on_being_a_police_officer

Facebook: On Being a Police Officer

YouTube: Abby Ellsworth Channel

Abby@Ellsworthproductions.com

www.onbeingapoliceofficer.com

©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org