YOU & FIVE-O PODCAST You & Five-O

Episode 53: The Future of Policing with Guest Chief Jason Armstrong

For our final podcast of the year, we’re excited to welcome Apex Police Chief Jason Armstrong to the show to talk about his journey in policing, the community policing he does, advancements to the profession, and more! We believe he represents the future of law enforcement, where positive change can be made. We encourage the community to help identify leaders like him by voicing their appreciation and commending those officers for delivering the service they desire from their police department.
 
Chief Armstrong’s journey to the Apex Police Department took him through Ferguson, MO, where he dealt with the aftermath of the Michael Brown incident. He explains how this inspired his work with the community to improve relationships with the police, and how he’s carried this through his work today. He talks about his philosophy on community policing, how he gets support from the community and implements it with his officers, what’s worked and how he goes about it in Apex now.
 
We finish the show by discussing the changes he’s made in Apex - including  creating a non-sworn civilian internal affairs (the first of its kind!) and relaxing the policies on appearances so his officers can be more themselves. Chief Armstrong is also currently hiring for the Apex Police Department - you can find more details at apexnc.org/261/Police-Department
 
More about Chief Jason Armstrong:
Jason Armstrong was appointed the Chief of Police for the Town of Apex, North Carolina, on August 2, 2021. Prior to his appointment in Apex he served as Chief of Police for the Ferguson Police Department (Missouri) for two years. Chief Armstrong joined Ferguson PD after an accomplished career with the Forest Park Police Department (Georgia). He started his law enforcement career with Forest Park PD in 2001 and held nearly every position in the organization over his 18-year career, to include Interim Police Chief. Chief Armstrong is recognized as one of the nation’s top law enforcement leaders in the areas of community outreach & engagement and police reform. During his tenure with Ferguson PD, the department saw its most significant gains on their federal consent decree with the Department of Justice.
 
Chief Armstrong is a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. Chief Armstrong’s professional accolades include the 40 Under 40 Award from both the IACP and North Carolina Central University (NCCU). He was also the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus in Public Service Award from Columbus State University. In 2019, he was appointed to the IACP’s community policing committee. Chief Armstrong currently serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police, the Executive Board for the North Carolina Police Executives Association and the Police Chief Advisory Board for the North Carolina League on Municipalities. Chief Armstrong holds a Master’s Degree in Public Safety Administration and has amassed over 3,300 professional development training hours during his 22-year career. When he is not in the public eye, Chief Armstrong enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. The family enjoys traveling, sports, boating, and exploring new adventures.

Episode 52: Speaking Our Truths with Guests Alicia R. Johnson and Crystal Graves
Today, we’re introducing another new segment for our podcast: Speaking Our Truths. The goal with this is to give a voice to the communities that are talked about, have biases around, or are misunderstood - so we can work to reduce the stigma and give voice to their issues and concerns, with the hope that they’ll be heard and inspire others to work toward change.
For this episode, we are joined by two women living in Durham public housing - Alicia R. Johnson and Crystal Graves - who are passionate about their communities and want to inspire them to do better. This initial podcast allows us to introduce them and their stories to you - where they came from and their journey to where they are now. We also touch on the issues they’ve faced, what it’s like living in public housing, the impact and stigma around it, what can be improved, and more. Stay tuned for more from this inspiring segment!More about our guests:Alicia R. Johnson
Alicia was born in Kansas City, MO, and at the age of five, her family moved to Durham for a few years before heading to Maywood, IL, where she was raised. She now lives in the Durham Housing Authority community of Laurel Oaks. She has two beautiful children, and says “My life’s journey hasn’t been easy, yet by the Grace of God I’m still here. I have my church leaders who have and are helping me with my spiritual walk with Jesus Christ my Lord.” Alicia has a Cosmetology and Instructor License, and is currently pursuing her Barber Instructor License in order to eventually start her own Cosmetology/Barber school. She believes in educating and encouraging people through compassion, love and understanding with the belief and faith they will become the best they can be.
Crystal Graves
Crystal moved from Florida to Durham in 2014 and currently lives in the Cornwallis Community, where she is Vice President. She is the mother of two beautiful daughters and worships at Faith Assembly Christian Center-TNC. Her passion is creating opportunities that support and benefit the needs of others. She enjoys the responsibility of planning, organizing, and managing events. The work up-to and when the goal is reached is what drives her passion, which is to build relationships within the community, and the organizations that support that community. She does this as part of her faith and belief that when we support the needs of others, we all are better. This journey of partnering and collaborating with others in making a difference is helping her build the foundation to create her own nonprofit in the future. Her hope and prayer is that these partnerships are filled with growth and meaningful connections.
 

We’re back! With the latest in our new segment “Your Questions, Your Power” - where we help community members understand the importance of asking the right questions of their elected officials and local law enforcement, and how data can be beneficial for creating change. Today we are excited to be joined by Bob Scales - co-founder and CEO of Police Strategies LLC.After getting reacquainted with each host, we hear from Bob about his background and experience, journey to where he is now, and an explanation of his company’s police force analysis system. Numbers don’t tell you everything you need to know about each police interaction or situation, so their system goes beyond the data to truly understand what’s going on, why there are disparities, and what that means for the police agency and community (and what can be done about it).We discuss how police are their own worst enemy when it comes to data and transparency, how the media portrays the data about policing, Bob’s experience with police reform and the DOJ/politics involved, his opinion on consent decrees, and the research paper he recently released on use of force. As always with this segment, we also go into detail on what questions to ask to understand the data you’re receiving, the questions you’re allowed to ask your police agency to get more data, and how to best utilize that as a community member.More about Bob Scales:Bob Scales is a founding partner of Police Strategies LLC where he currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer. Previously, Scales served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in King County Washington, a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, the Assistant Director for Public Safety for the City of Seattle, the Director of the Government Affairs for the Seattle City Attorney, and the Compliance Coordinator for the Seattle Police Department. Scales represented Seattle during the USDOJ pattern or practice investigation of Seattle PD in 2011 and helped to negotiate the subsequent consent decree.  Scales was elected to two terms on the Bainbridge Island, WA City Council and served one year as Mayor.

Episode 50: Your Questions, Your Power with Guests Finesse Moreno-Rivera & Kelly ChildressToday we are launching our new segment: “Your Questions, Your Power” with Finesse and Kelly! This segment highlights the importance of data, especially as it relates to policing - we want to help the community understand what to look for, how to ask for data, and how to interpret it. You have the right to do so! After Finesse and Kelly introduce themselves again, they dive into discussing what they each want to accomplish with this new segment… primarily making data transparent and accessible, and how to practically apply that to your local organizations to help create change.They also discuss the importance of Black people voting - the history of it and where we are today, especially regarding the changes happening in Mississippi that are causing voter suppression. Kelly brings up the need to look at the root cause of crime, otherwise policing isn’t as effective, and they all suggest solutions for how to fix that - for police, community members, and local organizations. They end by discussing policing, the number one resistance to police officers, and understanding how to safely get through interactions with law enforcement. Finesse shares her personal experiences with police, and they highlight the importance of learning how to safely get through police stops in drivers ed.

Episode 49: Law Enforcement Accountability, Starts with a Complaint with Guest Chief Henry KingWelcome back to the You & Five-O podcast, where we have Chief Henry King of the Edenton Police Department joining us. We have had a long-time relationship with King, and recently worked with him to release our new short film #Huemans: A Guide to Get Home - a free resource available on youandfive-o.com and our YouTube page to provide Black and Brown communities with information on how to safely interact with law enforcement.After telling us about his background and early experiences with police, King and BJ talk about how Black and Brown people who are active in the community don't desire to be police, but those kinds of individuals are needed in the police force to help bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement. King says police are public figures, but believes that in order to get respect, you have to give respect.King talks about the struggles of small police departments and how they don’t have the tools needed to handle certain assignments, such as homeless shelters or housing for assaulted women. He also talks about how voting and police reform go hand-in-hand.King aims to provide opportunities to anyone who wants to work in law enforcement and is willing to obtain the necessary education, training, and certifications - regardless of race. He wants to create a diverse pool of candidates who can replace him as the chief of police in the future. He also explains how to file complaints about officer’s behavior, and what the process is like at his department.

Bola WRAP
Watch #Huemans: A Guide To Get Home


More about Chief Henry King
Chief Henry King Jr started his employment at the Rocky Mount Police Department in December 2000 as a patrol officer. Serving in this capacity, he worked as a uniform patrol officer, answering calls for service, serving warrants, and traffic control. He also worked as a bicycle officer. Henry was transferred to the Administrative Services Division in 2003 as a School Resource Officer (SRO) and was assigned to Edwards Middle School. In July 2005, Henry was promoted to the rank of Corporal. In July 2006, he was promoted to Sergeant assigned to the Uniformed Operations Division. In February 2010, Henry was transferred to the Professional Standards Division. In August 2013, he was promoted to Lieutenant. In August of 2017, he was promoted to Captain and assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division. On May 7, 2018, he was named Chief of Police for the Town of Edenton. Chief Henry King Jr is also assigned to the North Carolina Secretary State Task Force and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Task Force.
Chief Henry King is a native of Durham, NC. He has served in the military (United States Marine Corps) and is a graduate of North Carolina Central University. He is also a graduate of the North Carolina State University, Administrative Officers Management Program, Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police and the FBI National Academy Session 283. Chief King serves as an Executive Board member on the North Carolina Internal Affairs Investigation Association. He also serves as a Commissioner for the North Carolina Sentencing Commission and the North Carolina Locksmith Licensing Board. Henry also serves as an Executive Board member for the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police. He is a Life Member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Episode 48: Role Models for Policing with Guests Rob Mewborn and Di’Nesha Rouse
On our newest podcast episode, we welcome two officers from the police department in Kinston, NC: Rob Mewborn and Di’Nesha Rouse. You & Five-O has partnered with the Kinston PD for many years - they have a predominantly African American population, with a mostly white police department - because of their desire to improve community-police relations by spreading awareness and educating the community on how to safely interact with law enforcement.After introducing themselves, Officers Mewborn and Rouse discuss the challenges of pursuing a career in law enforcement in the Black community. They talk about how there weren’t any Black role models as police officers when they were younger, and how the Black community tends to prioritize sports as a career over other paths. They also discuss how the opinions and attitudes of their family, friends, and community vilify becoming a police officer, and ideas they have for how to change that.BJ highlights the importance of hiring from the local level - both Rouse and Mewborn were born and raised in Kinston - and the difference it makes as an officer when you’re connected with your community. Mewborn and Rouse also share their experiences as school resource officers - what they see on the ground level, working with youth, and the daily struggles they encounter. They approach their work with a mindset of being the change they want to see and actively explore ways to help young people succeed and stay out of trouble.
 
More about Di’Nesha Rouse:Di’Nesha Rouse was hired by the Kinston Police Department in 2019. Prior to her service in Kinston, she attended college at Winston Salem State University, majoring in Criminal Justice. Officer Rouse started her career in law enforcement on the patrol division. Due to Officer Rouse’s involvement in and with the community, she has received awards ranging from Officer of the Month to Life Saving awards. Officer Rouse has furthered her knowledge by attending the Gang Resistance Education and Training program, located in Forsyth Georgia, in an effort to combat delinquency, youth violence, and gang membership for children/teens. Officer Rouse transitioned from patrol to working as the school resource officer for Rochelle Middle School in January 2023.More about Rob Mewborn:Officer Rob Mewborn is a lifetime resident of Kinston, NC - born in east Kinston and educated in the public school system. Officer Mewborn has served the citizens of Kinston for over 18 years, in many different capacities throughout the city. He started his career with the City of Kinston in 2004 and later transferred to the Police Division in 2010. After serving for a short while as a police officer, he returned to environmental services and worked for seven more years. In 2017 Officer Mewborn was asked by the former Chief of Police Alonzo Jaynes if he would be interested in returning to the Police Division and serving as Kinston High’s School Resource Officer, which he readily accepted. With over 15 years of experience dealing with young people, Officer Mewborn has managed to usher in a new wave of experience and make lasting relationships with the young students at KHS, as well as the community in which he serves. Officer Mewborn is a true example of community policing, and enjoys serving the students and citizens of Kinston NC.